


Hidden Malice

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-21
Updated: 2006-03-21
Packaged: 2019-02-02 04:42:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12719886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Jack is a target and he doesn't know why.





	Hidden Malice

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Some violence.  


* * *

Jack awoke suddenly. With his heart pounding and his body covered in a cold sweat, he knew something was wrong. What had awakened him? Trying to slow his breathing, he focused his attention on his surroundings. 

The quiet of his bedroom seemed undisturbed, his bedside clock reading 0120. He'd been asleep for a little over two hours. His clothes were still on the easy chair in the corner, he'd been too tired to do anything but strip to his boxers and fall into bed. 

Deep shadows filled the corners of the room, the only illumination coming from the moonlight peeking through the blinds. No monsters rose from the dark, all seemed quiet. So why the hell did he feel so uneasy? 

Then he heard it, muffled, distant, a thump followed by a thud. 

Reaching into the bedside table, Jack pulled out his handgun, slipped out of bed, and moved to the door of his bedroom. Silently, with an expertise born from years of experience, he proceeded down the hall looking for the source of the noise, threat assessing as he went. 

Checking each room as he passed; bathroom...empty, guest room...empty, study...empty, Jack quickly and quietly reached the dining area, scanning for signs of an intruder. Standing in the hallway with his back to the wall, gun raised, he hesitated a few seconds, and reassessed the situation. Primed and ready to chastise himself for jumping at shadows, Jack heard it again; one thump, followed by another, coming from the direction of the front door. 

Moving to the left of the entryway, Jack cautiously lifted the small curtain covering the side panel window. There on the steps lay a body, face down, but in the faint moonlight all he was able to ascertain was that it was a male; whether he was alive or dead would have to be based on a closer observation. Reaching for the handle, Jack stood to the side and slowly opened the door. He kept his gun trained on the stranger, wary that it might be trick. Recognition only took a second.

"Daniel!" Quickly dropping to his knees, Jack glanced around the front yard, checking for any unseen threats. Not sensing any, he slipped his gun into his waistband. 

Though he would have liked nothing better than to throw Daniel over his shoulder and hightail it to the SGC, experience taught him checking for injuries must take priority. Gently rolling the archeologist onto his side, he was shocked at Daniel's beaten and battered condition. His face was bloody and bruised. His upper lip was swollen twice its normal size, and there was a cut over his right eye. Blood appeared to be running freely from a head wound and there were bruises on his neck. 

"Daniel! Wake up." Jack tapped his face, but didn't get any response. 

"Dammit Daniel, what happened?" Jack murmured. He continued to tap with a bit more insistence. "Come on, buddy. Answer me, who did this to you?" 

"H...help." Daniel responded suddenly, and the whispered plea cut to Jack's soul. What in the hell had happened? When he'd left the mountain, Daniel had still been in his office. He had planned on spending the night in his on-base quarters, stating he had a couple more hours of work to do. Now, here he was, beaten and bloody at his front door. 

"Okay, Daniel, let's get you inside where it's warmer. Can you move?" Jack saw Daniel nod slightly and then attempt to sit up, only to fall back, unable to support himself. Jack needed to call Fraiser, get Daniel to either a hospital or the mountain. But first, he had to get him inside. 

Grabbing Daniel by the arms, Jack maneuvered him into a sitting position, only to have him list sideways. He steadied the barely conscious man and moved around behind him, putting his hands under his arms and tugged him gently and quickly into the house, laying him down in the hall. 

He locked the door and headed for the bedroom. Grabbing a pillow and blanket off the bed, he returned to where he had left Daniel, picking up his cell phone as he passed the dresser and some hand towels from the bathroom. 

The archeologist hadn't moved since being dragged inside, but he groaned as his head and shoulders were carefully lifted and the pillow was slipped into place. Covering him with the blanket, Jack then flipped his phone open and dialed Fraiser's home number. Applying pressure to Daniel's head wound, he waited for the doc to answer, whispering to his friend that he would be fine.

* * *

Jack sat on the floor next to Daniel, back up expected any moment. Fraiser was on her way. She had taken care of calling the Academy Hospital and requested the paramedics and an EMS unit to meet her at his house. He had also spoken briefly with General Hammond, who had reassured him that he would notify the rest of SG1. Jack knew he would feel better once Teal'c and Carter arrived and were covering their six. 

For now, he sat next to Daniel, guarding him and placing pressure on his bleeding head wound, keeping an ear open. 

"Jack?"

Looking down, he saw blue eyes at half mast, looking around, confused. 

"I'm here. You're gonna be all right. Help's comin'." With his free hand, Jack stroked Daniel's arm, trying to reassure him, keep him calm. 

"Oh god, Jack, watch out!" Grabbing Jack's arm for leverage, Daniel struggled to sit up. Jack saw the moment when everything became too much for the young man. The archeologist's sudden strength seemed to wilt away and Jack gently guided Daniel back down. 

"You're safe," Jack reassured his friend. "You're safe." 

"No! S'after you, *you're* in dan..." Jack watched as Daniel's eyes closed, wondering what the hell was taking the ambulance so long. 

What had Daniel meant? *He* was in danger? Why would they go after Daniel? No, he must have gotten it wrong. But who had done this and why?

"It's okay, Daniel. We'll find 'em, whoever they are." Jack heard the sirens in the distance and felt a small sense of relief knowing that help would be here soon.

* * *

"Yeah, Carter, we're leaving now. Just meet us at the hospital." Jack walked behind the stretcher as the paramedics and Fraiser moved Daniel to the ambulance. The doc had arrived almost simultaneously with the EMS unit and while doing a quick check of her patient, the paramedics had strapped Daniel to a back board and immobilized his neck as a precaution. 

Jack had watched Fraiser's gaze as she assessed Daniel, her eyes lingering on the bruises around his throat, and for a second her guard slipped and he observed her struggle to control her anger. Daniel was her friend first, and it always amazed him that she could effortlessly switch gears and become the professional when needed. She had a special kind of chutzpah that was unique to her. As he watched, Fraiser and the paramedics worked, starting IV's and oxygen, drawing blood and attaching a cardiac monitor to their patient. 

Now they were headed for the hospital. Driving Janet's car so she would have transportation later, he contemplated the events of the night. Who had attacked Daniel? Where had it happened? When had he left the mountain? But Jack knew he wouldn't find out anything until Daniel talked to him. He also knew that, until the mystery of who attacked his friend, and why, was solved, Daniel was gonna have around the clock company.

* * *

Heading for the hospital, Sam closed her cell phone and walked to the hall closet. She pulled out her down vest and slipped it on. She picked up her keys and purse from the hall table, opened the door, and ran down the front steps, heading for her car. Just as she reached the sidewalk, someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth, the arms holding her like a vise. 

She reacted instinctively, fighting as she was pulled back towards the house. Struggling to get loose, Sam bit down on the hand and stomped on the assailant's foot. She was released only to be grabbed by a second set of hands. 

Screaming for help, Sam elbowed the body behind her and upon hearing an "oomph", increased her efforts to get free. Without warning, she was punched in the stomach, doubling her over. Seeing stars, Sam fell to her knees. 

Two booted feet appeared before her eyes, and without a second thought she reached up and grabbed the crotch of the man in front of her and twisted with all her strength. It gave her great satisfaction to hear the primal scream which she evoked with her retaliation.

Hoping her attackers were a little off balance, Sam dropped to the ground and rolled to her side. Climbing unsteadily to her feet, she turned, scanning for her assailants. Suddenly she was hit across her back, and, as if in slow motion, she fell back to the ground, the sky and house spinning around her. 

Down on the front lawn, Sam saw a man approach. In shock and unable to move, she watched as a ski-masked individual leaned over. 

"Tell Jack O'Neill he'll pay for his sins. But, only after I've had a little fun. He will pay, remember that, blondie." 

The night became darker as the edges of Sam's vision began to close in. 'I have warn the colonel. God help me'.

* * *

Here he was, pacing the Emergency Room waiting area and going stir crazy, waiting for news. All he knew was that Daniel had been taken to Radiology for an MRI.

When they'd first arrived, Jack had wanted to stay with Daniel but Janet had refused. "Colonel, he's surrounded by medical staff at this very moment and will be for a while. Believe me, I'm going to have enough to worry about without having you there. I'll come talk to you as soon as I know something." 

General Hammond sat stoically on one of the ugly blue plastic chairs and Teal'c stood at attention, radiating his concern for those who knew him. The only person missing was Carter.

Where the hell *was* Carter, anyway? Stopping mid-pace, it suddenly dawned on him that Carter probably should have beaten the ambulance here. 

//'S after you, you're in danger.// Daniel's words came back to him. What if whoever did this *was* really after him? What if he was trying to get to him through his friends, his team? Oh God, what if he's gone after Carter? 

Pulling out his cell, Jack quickly dialed Carter's phone. Not getting any answer, Jack's anxiety ratcheted up to another level. Unwilling to take a chance, he turned to his CO. 

"General, I think Carter may be in trouble. We need to send someone to her home to check on her." Teal'c turned towards him at his words. Seeing the General nod his approval, Jack dialed the mountain.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Jack and Teal'c were waiting outside Emergency after General Hammond had received a call from the security team sent to Carter's. They'd found the major lying unconscious on her front lawn. The team had notified the paramedics and they were now enroute to the hospital.

Jack had been torn between staying at the hospital and heading out to Carter's himself. With another friend and teammate possibly in trouble, he felt the need to be in both places. And then the general had reminded him that a team from the mountain would make better time due to the proximity of the major's house to the base. Reluctantly, he had agreed, but it didn't make the waiting any easier. 

Hearing the sirens in the distance, Jack tracked the ambulance as it turned into the medical complex and drove up the driveway the Emergency entrance. As the transport rolled to a stop, Jack and Teal'c moved to the back and pulled the doors open. 

An SF hopped out along with one of the paramedics. Jack grabbed the foot of the gurney and with Teal'c, assisted the men as they unloaded Carter. Looking closely, he could see that his second had been worked over pretty badly. The medics had put a cervical collar on her, strapped her to a back board, and bandaged her head. The gauze was showing signs of becoming saturated with blood. 

Jack, along with Teal'c, helped move Carter into the Emergency, bellowing for a doctor. He could hear his teammate in the background insisting Dr. Fraiser be informed immediately. 

"Who? Who could have done this?" Leaning over, Jack could see the bruising beneath Carter's pale features. Anger and helplessness were feelings he didn't want in control right now. Yet, there they were. Someone was using his team to get to him and the reality was alarming.

Carter moaned and tried to move. Jack watched as Teal'c bent down and whispered in her ear. He didn't know what was said, but she settled immediately. 

"Sir?" Carter looked for him as she opened her eyes.

"Here, Carter. How're you doing?"

"Hurts." Carter gasped as she tried to adjust her hips.

"I know." Jack grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Can you tell me who did this?" Jack could see the medical team heading for them and tried to hurry.

"Don't know, but I think he's after you, sir." Jack barely heard her whispered reply, but her words confirmed his earlier fears.

Letting the ER team take over, Jack reiterated Teal'c's orders.

"Get Fraiser. Now! She's her doctor."

Numb, Jack stood next to Teal'c and watched as another member of SG1 was wheeled into a trauma bay.

* * *

Janet walked into the waiting room and came face to face with a very worried group of people. 

"Let me just say before you start asking questions, Dr. Jackson and Major Carter are both going to be fine." She waved everyone towards chairs.

"Major Carter has a slight concussion, a laceration on her head and some severe bruising on her abdomen and back. Daniel also has a slight concussion but, I'm sorry to say, his other injuries are more severe. 

He was beaten quite badly, and the bruises around his neck are indicative of an attempted strangling. There's some swelling in his throat, which poses potential problems with his ability to breathe but, I think it will subside with a little time. We'll watch that closely for a while. His other bruises, including a black eye, are painful but, with time, will heal completely. Neither have any internal injuries, which, considering the circumstances, is a Godsend." Looking around the room, she could see the relief on everyone's faces. 

"Sir, I would like to have them transferred to the mountain. With the security there, I feel they would be safer. Someone was out to hurt them and right now they *are* vulnerable." Janet didn't believe there would be a problem, but she was still relieved when Hammond nodded in agreement.

"See to it, Doctor. Colonel O'Neill, I'm sure you and Teal'c won't mind accompanying Doctor Jackson and Major Carter."

* * *

"Sir, both Carter and Daniel said that the person who did this was after me." Jack decided it was time to bring up what only he knew. 

"Colonel?" Jack could see the questions in the general's eyes.

"Yeah, when Daniel told me at the house, I thought he must've been confused, but Carter said the same thing. Whoever attacked them was ultimately after me." Jack began to pace, too disturbed to remain still. 

"Do you know who this person might be? Why they may be after you?"

"No! Hell no, General!" //But he has sure figured out a way to get to me where it hurts me the most!// "I've made enemies over the years, I'm sure. But I can't think of anyone who would do something like this. Why not just come after me? This is ludicrous!" Jack's voice had gotten louder with each step.

"Until we find the person with the vendetta, Colonel, security will be assigned to accompany the members of SG1 whenever off base. It sounds as if whoever this is may be targeting those closest to you, so I will also assign SF's to Dr. Fraiser and Cassandra."

"Don't forget yourself, sir." Seeing Hammond's slight nod, Jack turned to Fraiser.

"Doc, can we see them?" The need to have his team together and safe was pulling at Jack.

"Yes, sir, though they're both asleep. They're in the room at the end of the hall. I'll catch up with you all in a few minutes. I need to make arrangements and warn the infirmary staff to be expecting patients in a little while."

* * *

Jack and Teal'c waited until Hammond finished visiting before entering the room. As they walked in, Jack noted that Carter and Daniel were hooked up to a myriad of monitors, all keeping tabs of their vital signs. There was a nurse sitting off to the side, busy with some paperwork and watching over her patients. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he felt a renewed sense of guilt. Someone was after him and that angered him. He was relieved, however, that both his friends were alive and would recover.

Jack watched as Teal'c approached and gently touched Carter's hair, brushing it out of her eyes. Teal'c then turned to Daniel and with the same gentleness, repeated his actions. 

When Jack caught a glimpse of Teal'c's expression, there was no mistaking the anger. "We will protect them, O'Neill. They will not be hurt again by this coward." Jack knew that Teal'c meant every one of his softly spoken words. 

He pulled a couple of stools over and, placing them in between the beds, sat down next to Daniel. Teal'c took the other and sat next to Carter. Looking at his teammates, Jack could see that Carter had a bandage on the right side of her head with bruising blossoming out from underneath. From Jack's vantage point, it looked as if she was going to have a hell of a shiner before all was said and done. 

As he and Teal'c waited, a nurse entered the room and brought an ice pack and placed it over the bandage and bruising on the major's head. Seeing that it wouldn't stay without support, Teal'c, offering assistance, reached over and held the pack in place, relieving the nurse. 

Turning to Daniel, Jack could see the bruises on his neck more clearly in the stark light of the trauma room. There were several outlines of fingers from hands that had been wrapped around the archeologist's throat. It was a wonder that his windpipe hadn't been crushed. 

Severe bruising evident, Jack lifted an ice pack to see that Daniel's right eye had nearly swollen closed. There was also a bandage covering the cut on his head. Another ice pack already was in place, snug against the area. Lifting the sheets a little, he could also see evidence of contusions and welts on the young man's arms, and Jack had a feeling that there were more under the hospital gown. 

Reaching up, he adjusted the straps of the oxygen mask which had slipped down off Daniel's face. As he did so, his friend groaned and tried to twist his face away from the offending object, dislodging the ice pack. 

"Daniel. Take it easy, it's just me. I'm fixing the oxygen, just hold still, buddy." As Jack worked, he saw a sliver of blue from the uninjured eye as Daniel seemed to wake up. 

"Jack?" There was a grimace on Daniel's face. Jack leaned in closer; he could barely hear Daniel's voice. 

"Yeah, I'm here, so's Teal'c and Carter."

"What happened?" 

Jack glanced at Teal'c before answering.

"I was kinda hoping you could tell me." Jack could see Daniel's forehead crinkle as if in pain. "How's the head, Danny? Are you hurting?" 

Not answering, Daniel closed his eyes as if drifting off to sleep, but there was a fine sheen of perspiration on his face and the beeping from the heart monitor was starting to pick up. 

Just as Jack was about to call for the nurse, she appeared at Daniel's bedside. He watched as she did a quick neurological check and then injected something into the IV. She then walked over to the sink, filled a small basin with water and took two cloths out of the cabinet. 

Bringing her supplies over to the table, she handed both Teal'c and Jack one of the cloths and placed the water where they could reach it. Nodding his thanks, he made note of the Captain's name. Then, dipping the cloths into the water, Jack and Teal'c began to bathe the perspiration from their friend's faces. Jack could see that Daniel was once again asleep, his heart rate slower, and realized that whatever had been added to the IV had obviously worked. 

Fraiser walked into the room a few minutes later and announced that the ambulance had arrived and it was time to move her patients. As he watched his teammates being loaded into the back of the military EMS unit, he felt a flood of gratitude when he saw that Hammond had sent along several SF's to accompany the team. Soon, Daniel and Carter would be safe in the infirmary. //And then I'll be able to start figuring out who is after me.//

* * *

Daniel was unable to move. Struggling, he tried to get away from a threat he could feel, but not see. Heavy hands pressed down on his arms and shoulders, and he panicked. Suddenly realizing he was blind, his exertions became more frantic.

"Let me go!" His voice a whisper, he strived to get free, knowing in his mind that he had to warn Jack. 

"Daniel, settle down." When he heard Jack's voice, Daniel relaxed a little, but only for a moment. Renewing his struggles, he rolled, again trying get away.

"Won't fool me again! Let me go!" It hurt to talk, his voice only coming out as a hissing sound. The hands were still there, holding him, preventing his escape.

"Daniel Jackson, cease. You will injure yourself."

Teal'c? Teal'c was here? Not a trick? 

As Daniel settled back, not fighting any more, he slowly became aware of the subdued sounds of the infirmary. He was laying on a soft surface and could hear the faint beeping of machines. Listening more closely, he could also hear the soft whisper of shoes walking across the floor and he sensed other people gathering around his bed. 

"Jack?" 

"Right here, Dannyboy." Hearing Jack's voice to his left, it dawned on him that the hand he could feel holding his, was his friend's.

"Infirmary?"

"Got it in one." 

"Can't see." Daniel felt a little bolt of panic. But almost immediately, he heard the Janet's reassuring voice.

"I got it, Daniel. There's an ice pack on your eyes to keep the swelling down and it's wrapped in place so it won't fall off." Daniel felt her hands pulling and tugging at the wrap. "You have a nasty black eye along with a few other bruises." 

As Janet lifted the cold pressure from his eyes, Daniel opened them to find Jack, Teal'c, and General Hammond also at his bedside, worried looks on their faces. Relief swept through him. He wasn't blind. 

"W'ter?" His mouth was so dry. 

"How 'bout a little ice to begin with. Take it slow. It's gonna hurt to swallow." Daniel watched as Janet scooped a few slivers into his mouth. There was an explosion of cool wetness as the ice dissolved in his mouth. But as he tried to swallow, Daniel felt a searing pain, causing him to groan. Water went into his windpipe and he began coughing and choking as he struggled for air. 

Jack and Teal'c lifted him into a sitting position, supporting him, and a basin appeared before his mouth. The coughing caused him to gag and then vomit the little bit of fluid on his stomach. It took a few moments, but as his stomach and the coughing subsided, Daniel was able to lay back.

His throat felt as if it were on fire. Closing his eyes, he felt someone wipe his face with a cool cloth. Lying there, he suddenly envisioned hands coming at him, grabbing him and applying pressure to his throat. And there was a voice. "Tell O'Neill, he will pay, I will make him pay." 

"Jack. Someone's after you."

* * *

Daniel's quiet declaration shouldn't have shocked Jack. After all, his friend had only repeated what he had said back at the house and Carter had essentially said the same thing. If that wasn't enough to convince him, two of his team lay injured... no... beaten, in the SGC infirmary. And yet, a small bolt of surprise had run through him when Daniel, again, told him he was in danger. 

Then anger surfaced. Who the hell was doing this? Why didn't they just come after him? Why his team? Or should he say, why his family? After all, that is what SG1 was, his family. And *that* answered his question. How do you hurt your enemy the most? Go after those he loves. 

A deep cold settled in his stomach as he contemplated his enemy. Someone wanted a fight. Well, they were gonna get one. Now he just had to figure out the who and the why. 

Jack sat between Carter and Daniel's beds, watching them sleep. Both had awakened at various times and told different yet, in some ways, similar stories.

* * *

"I asked if you were injured." Daniel cleared his throat a little, trying to get rid of the hoarseness. "The person told me he just needed a ride." Daniel closed his eyes as he tried to remember the voice. "There was a breathy quality to it but I never even questioned that it wasn't you, Jack. I mean, you'd just left for home barely twenty minutes before. Damn, I should've realized." Lifting his hand, Daniel covered his eyes against the lights of the infirmary. 

"Here, just a minute." Daniel heard movement and then there was a snap off to his right. Opening his eyes, he could see that the brightness had been traded for the soft glow of the small bedside lamp.

"Thanks."

Jack nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. The throbbing in his head subsided a little but it was a constant reminder of what had happened. 

"Anyway, I headed out right away. I'd gone about three or four miles and came to a truck sitting with its tail end hanging off the side of the road. The driver's side door was open but there was no sight of you, Jack. I thought you might've been injured after all and had maybe wandered off, falling down the hill or something. If my overactive imagination hadn't gotten the best of me, I would have seen that it wasn't yours." Daniel felt angry with himself for not picking up on the subtle clues. 

"Daniel, you had no reason to suspect anything was wrong. Don't beat yourself up about it." Jack rubbed his shoulder, encouraging him to continue.

"I pulled off the road and got out of the car. I started calling for you as I headed for the truck, thinking you were somewhere in the vicinity. I never suspected that it was a trap. I thought you were lying somewhere, hurt." Daniel's headache was no longer satisfied with sitting in the background. Reaching up, he draped his arm across his forehead and eyes again.

"Anyway, I thought I heard a noise behind me, and as I turned, something hit me, hard. I don't remember a lot after that, just bits and pieces." He was getting uncomfortable, but as he tried to adjust his hips, he was blindsided by pain shooting through his shoulders and up into his head. He gasped and froze, gripping Jack's hand, waiting for the spasm to subside. 

"That's enough for now, sir. He needs to rest." Daniel heard Janet as she approached the bed. But he couldn't stop now, he needed to finish.

"No, no. I'm alright. Just give me a minute." The pain was beginning to pass, but he saw the disbelief in Jack and Janet's eyes. Easing his grip on Jack's hand, Daniel continued, not giving them a chance to argue.

"I remember being hit a second time and then feeling like I couldn't move. The next thing I know, I'm being dragged to the truck and thrown in the back. I guess I passed out somewhere along the line." Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and Daniel found comfort in the touch.

"I remember the guy kept saying, 'I'm gonna make O'Neill pay' over and over again. At one point, he looked at me and said, 'Tell O'Neill, he can't hide forever! You tell him, he's a dead man.' Then he started hitting me again." 

"Can you describe him?" 

"Ski mask, blue eyes, that's about it. I don't remember much else before waking up here." Closing his eyes, Daniel felt the pull of sleep and, finally, didn't seem to be able to fight it. There was a warm feeling he recognized; Janet must have given him some pain medication.

"Good, Daniel. That will help." He heard Jack's voice as the darkness of slumber started to embrace him.

* * *

Jack used a damp cloth to wipe the perspiration from Daniel's forehead, watching as his friend struggled to stay awake. Following Fraiser's lead, he started to step away from the bed. 

Daniel fought the medication to open his eyes one more time. "Had to be two of them, someone else was driving while I was in the back with the guy hitting me. I 'member getting shoved out of the vehicle and knew I had to warn you." Daniel's speech slowed down, the effort to continue obvious; a small sliver of blue was the only thing Jack could see of his eyes. 

"Go to sleep, Daniel. You're safe here. I'll get to the bottom of this. We'll find who did this. Right now you need to rest." Jack could see Daniel nod his head slightly.

Jack continued to hold Daniel's hand and wipe his face with a damp cloth, watching his friend slip into slumber.

* * *

Staying until he was sure Daniel was finally asleep; Jack left the infirmary and headed for the elevators, anger, a fury, burning in him

Getting on the elevator, Jack selected his floor, his outward calm belying the volcano of feelings about to erupt. Before the door could close, Teal'c stepped in. Jack could see the anger he felt was matched by Teal'c's.

"Teal'c, I'm not fit company right now." 

"Nor am I, O'Neill."

Nodding his head, Jack turned to watch the numbers change.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Jack punched the bag again and again. His body was dripping sweat from his exertions. Someone wanted to hurt him and had zeroed in on his soft spot.

"Enough, O'Neill."

Jack ignored his friend, who stood bracing the punching bag. He tried to imagine that the bag was the body of one of the men responsible for this attack. Personally, he could care less that his hands hurt from the repeated bashing he was giving the imaginary enemy.

"I said, enough." 

Jack punched the bag one, two, three more times and then collapsed against it, wrapping his arms around for support. Breathing hard, he stood there, eyes closed, waiting for his heart to slow. 

An arm went around his shoulders and he allowed Teal'c to lead him away to the bench along the wall. Sitting with little encouragement, Jack took the towel handed to him. 

"You are not at fault, O'Neill."

"They're after me, and they're going through the people around me." Jack wiped his face and arms, and leaned back against the wall, staring at the still swinging bag.

"However, you are not at fault." Teal'c sat next to him and also leaned against the wall.

"I know. I just wished it felt that way." 

"We will find these Jek'rel. But you will need to be in control or it gives the advantage to the enemy."

Jack turned to look at Teal'c. His words were wise and ones he had used in training new SGC candidates. And it was obviously apparent that he, too, wasn't above needing to be reminded once in a while.

"You're right. Let's get busy." Jack stood and grasped the Jaffa's forearm, pulling him to his feet, glad he had such a friend.

* * *

The assassin waited patiently. He was sure O'Neill and his friends now felt safe in the security of the mountain. He would have his revenge, but making his nemesis wait gave him a feeling of warped glee. Let the good colonel worry. It would make the kill that much more sweet. Yes, that's what he would do, let him wait, let him worry. Jack O'Neill *would* regret what he did, and he would have the satisfaction of seeing it in his eyes, right before he killed him.

* * *

It had been two days since Major Carter and Daniel Jackson had been attacked, and all was quiet. O'Neill had not left the mountain, choosing to remain close to the injured members of SG1 and Teal'c was concerned about his friend. Anxiety and tension were in the air and O'Neill was feeling the strain most of all. He was withdrawn, beginning to snap at everyone. 

O'Neill was a man who took his responsibility for his team seriously. When one of them was in danger, he was not one to sit still and do nothing. And, as of yet, the investigation into the attacks had not led them to the one responsible. O'Neill continued to carry the guilt and he felt powerless to help him. 

Teal'c had retreated to his quarters to calm himself and clear his mind through meditation. Sitting on the floor, candles illuminating his surroundings, Teal'c took deep breaths, centering himself, feeling tranquility slowly steal over his body. Although he no longer needed to Kel-No-Reem, he found the meditation that Daniel Jackson had taught him most beneficial.

Even on the cold cement floor, he could feel his muscles relax and there was a sensation of floating as he released his burdens. Images of Rya'c entered his mind; love for his son and pride in his growth and skills as a warrior flooded him and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Next bittersweet memories of beautiful Drey'auc, and sweet face of Shan'auc, flowed through him, along with visions of his parents. Although all were gone, they would never be forgotten. 

Ishta, his current love, soared into his mind, and warmth settled over him. He held hope that he would be able to visit her again soon. She was his heart, for he loved and admired her. She filled up that dark space within, that place he had buried for so long, becoming more and more important to him with every meeting. 

Teal'c started to slowly become aware of a heaviness in his limbs, and the air strangely thinning out, making each breath more difficult than the last. He reached out for the bed frame, attempting to pull himself up. He grasped the metal bar at the foot of the bed, only to have his hand slip and slam to the floor. Falling over, Teal'c looked up at the edge of the bed, seeing it grow smaller as if moving away. Again he reached; this time able to hold onto the frame. 

Pulling his body up, he knelt next to the bed, leaning on the mattress, unable to make his legs move. His head began to spin as dizziness and nausea rolled over him. Struggling to draw a deep breath, his heart hammered and pain arched through his chest. 

Teal'c knew his time was running out, whatever was happening was killing him. Sweat dripped from his forehead, stinging and blurring his vision as he attempted to stand again. This time he was successful in pulling himself up. Eyes stinging from the sweat that dripped into them, he looked at the phone on his bedside table. Staggering over, Teal'c grabbed onto the stand, trying to hold himself upright. Picking up the handset, anger filled him as he realized the instrument was not functioning. Looking down at the phone again, he could see that the cord had been severed. 

He had to move; he had to see his son again. O'Neill would help, if only he could get to him. 

Swinging around, he stumbled towards the door, grabbing for purchase, only to fall to the floor. He could hear the sound of crashing furniture and he realized he would not be able to get out in time. He would not see his son again. He would not be with Ishta again. He would not be there to protect his friends. Despair washed over him.

Lying on the floor, he fought to stay awake, fought to breathe. As the edges of darkness began to close in, he heard maniacal laughing. 

"Tell O'Neill, he isn't safe, even in the mountain. Don't forget, Jaffa."

* * *

Jack raced down the hall to Teal'c's room, Ferretti and two of his team right behind him. He'd been in his office when he'd received a phone call telling him he had better check on his friend. He hadn't recognized the voice, but he had taken the call seriously when the caller had abruptly hung up after taunting him one last time. 

"You better hurry, O'Neill. You wouldn't want to be responsible for another death, would you?" 

He ran to the elevators, passing Ferretti and two of his men on the way. Waving at them to follow, Jack prayed luck would be with him. It was; the elevator opened just as Jack reached it. The four men jumped in and Jack hit the button for Teal'c's level, quickly filling SG2 in on what was happening.

Now nearing the room, he slowed, scanning the area for danger. Leaning into the door, he hesitated momentarily, listening. Standing to the side, Jack grasped the handle and quietly pushed the door open. 

Glancing quickly around the doorsill, Jack took in the warm flickering of candlelight. But again he didn't see any danger.

He signaled Ferretti and Jack slipped inside the room, searching for Teal'c and any potential threats. He immediately spotted him lying face down on the floor. The phone was next to him and the small chest Teal'c used to store candle supplies was overturned, its contents spewed out, littering the room. 

Moving to Teal'c's side, Jack knelt, feeling for a pulse. Finding one, he tried to awaken his big Jaffa friend. He could see sweat pouring off the man and that he appeared to be having trouble breathing. 

"Teal'c?" Jack gently tapped his friend's face. When that didn't awaken the big man, Jack shook his shoulder. 

"T...buddy, come on, wake up!" There was no response.

"Ferretti, help me turn him." 

While Ferretti helped turn Teal'c to his side, Sellers and Randall checked the rest of the room. Signaling to Jack that the room was clear, the two went to call for a medical team and stand guard at the door. Jack pulled a pillow off the bed and slipped it under his friend's head, unexpectedly feeling a little dizzy. Afraid he was going to pass out; Jack grabbed the side of the bed for support.

"Colonel, you alright?" Jack could see Ferretti looking at him strangely and then he too grabbed the bed to keep himself upright. 

"Dizzy, you?"

"Yeah, all of a sudden."

"Let's get the hell out of here."

Jack and Ferretti each grabbed an arm and dragged Teal'c towards the door. They were joined by Sellers, who assisted in maneuvering him into the hall. 

As the group reached the corridor, Jack yelled at Randall to close the door. Sliding down the wall, he managed to pull Teal'c's head and shoulders into his lap, supporting him. Ferretti sat next to him, and they both sucked in air. 

"Sellers, call for a Haz-Mat team to check out Teal'c's quarters." The dizziness was quickly dissipating, but in its place was an overwhelming fatigue. Placing a hand on Teal'c's chest, Jack closed his eyes and monitored the big man's breathing, waiting for the medical team. 

In the background he heard Ferretti ordering his men to call for SF's and Hammond. Jack struggled to open his eyes, he needed to stay awake, guard Teal'c. But try as he might, he was unable to get his eyelids to comply. Sound, light and consciousness faded away.

* * *

"I'd like to watch you the rest of the day, Colonel. If there aren't any complications, I'll release you and let you go home." 

"Ahh, Doc." 

"No arguments. Just till this evening."

"I suggest you do as Dr. Fraiser says, Colonel," Hammond ordered. General Hammond had arrived in the infirmary a few minutes after being notified. Jack could feel the drag of fatigue weighing on his body and he knew Fraiser was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. 

"Teal'c doing better, doc?" When Jack had regained consciousness earlier, he had seen the medical team resuscitating his friend.

"Teal'c is sleeping and he's stable. He's still being affected by the gas and will most likely continue to sleep for a while. I know he left here, heading for his quarters about twenty minutes before you pulled him out. So I'm guessing he was exposed to the gas for a bit longer then you and Ferretti. We had to assist him with his breathing for a little while, but he quickly improved and now, just needs to sleep it off. It's as if you were all given some kind of sedative, but your drug screens are all negative. I'll know more when the Haz- Mat team is done with their investigation." Janet Fraiser ran a hand through her hair in obvious frustration as she filled everyone in.

Jack sat on the side of the bed, still a little tired, but awake. He had regained consciousness soon after oxygen had been administered by the medical team. Ferretti stood at the foot of the bed, having been cleared by Dr. Warner a few minutes earlier. 

Just then, Daniel was wheeled into the infirmary on a gurney. 

"All done with the scan?" Janet asked the nurse and medic accompanying Daniel.

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good. Thank you."

Jack watched as Daniel was helped back into his bed by the medical staff. Daniel turned to his right side and gazed at Jack.

"You don't look so hot, Jack. Why don't you lie down before you fall off the bed?" Too tired to argue anymore, Jack lay back against the pillows, bringing his legs up. 

"General Hammond, sir." Major Dreiser of the Haz-Mat team walked into the infirmary at that moment.

"Major, what did you find?" Jack asked anxiously.

"Yes, Major, report." Hammond, obviously as concerned as his second, allowed the interruption. 

"We found this in the vent above Teal'c's bathroom door." The major held out a canister about two feet in length with a valve on top. "The ventilation to the room had been cut off. We closed off that section for a couple of hours. We've opened the external flow vent, and fans have been set up to blow the gas out." Major Dreiser hesitated for a moment, then continued. "You know, it is a good thing you got to him when you did, Colonel. Lots of gases are flammable. With all the candles burning, there could have been a very bad explosion. We won't know any more, though, until we test the canister." 

"Thank you, Major. Please report your findings as soon as possible." 

General Hammond dismissed Major Dreiser and then turned to Dr. Fraiser. 

"Any ideas, Doctor?"

"Well, sir, it looked like a smaller version of the tanks we use for our anesthetics in the OR, but the label has been peeled off. It could be Halothane or Fluothane, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully, the lab will be able to come up with some answers." 

"All right, Dr. Fraiser, carry on." Jack watched Hammond leave the infirmary and, feeling the fatigue more acutely, closed his eyes and allowed his body to give into its need for sleep.

* * *

It was late in the day and Jack watched the chairs in the briefing room slowly fill up as Teal'c, Dr. Fraiser, Ferretti, Major Richards of security and General Hammond made their way into the room and sat down at the table. Teal'c had awakened; mad as hell and insisting on being at this meeting despite Dr. Fraiser's concerns. 

Everyone settled back with coffee cups, waiting for Major Dreiser. The head of the Haz-Mat team entered the room carrying a small cardboard box. Seeing General Hammond wave him to a chair, the major sat and began to remove the contents. 

"Report, Major." 

"Well, sir. The lab report on the canister isn't back yet, but I thought you might want to see this right away. My team swept the room again once the gas had dissipated. We found this small camera and radio hidden behind the bed. The camera lens is hidden in this small, thin pencil-like appendage. It was taped to the frame. The wires fed back to a transmitter hidden under the chest next to the bed. I'd say, sir, whoever placed it there had a bird's eye view of the incident."

Jack sat, disturbed and frustrated by this new information, the vulnerability of his team becoming more and more apparent. He felt impotent to prevent the attacks.

"The camera is operated by remote control and it clicked off just as we found it. Without it transmitting, there's no way of tracing it back to the receiver." Major Dreiser removed another piece of equipment that looked like a timer to Jack. 

"In addition, this is a digital remote controlled device was attached to the canister we found. After evaluating it, it would seem that the perpetrator set the canister to begin dispersing the gas slowly once he activated it. He must've been watching for Teal'c to return to his room and when he did, it was only a press of a button." 

"Anything else to report, Major?" Jack could see that General Hammond was angry. He sat there clenching and unclenching his fist, and the small muscle in his temple bulged periodically as he gritted his teeth.

"I have given the equipment to Major Richards and his team for further analysis."

"Thank you. Report any findings to me and forward the analysis of the gas to Dr. Fraiser as soon as it comes in. You're dismissed." Dreiser gathered the electronic equipment and left the room quickly. 

"Major Richards, anything to report at this time." 

"Well sir, the ID numbers on all the equipment have been removed so there isn't any way of tracing them. My security specialists are attempting to raise the numbers but I don't hold out any hope that we will get anything. It appears that whoever removed them did an exceptional job. I had the team dust for prints but, I'm sorry to say, there were none. They're currently doing another sweep of Teal'c's quarters to make sure we haven't missed anything." 

Jack was at a loss for words. Someone wanted to hurt him, kill him and that person was willing to go through the people he cared about to do it. He had nearly killed Jack's entire team and it was only a matter of time before he came after him.

"Okay, people. What do we know?" 

"He most likely is military and probably with some training in electronics or demolitions. He seems to have free access to the various areas." Major Richards responded.

"I will go over the security tapes, General Hammond." Teal'c declared, impatient to help.

"Thank you, Teal'c. Colonel O'Neill, I want you to go over your file and past missions. See if you can find any red flags there. Colonel Ferretti and Major Richards, go to personnel and go through the base files and pull a list of all personnel, military and civilian, who have any kind of experience with demolitions and electronics, and also anyone who has access to medical supplies." General Hammond took the lead in this investigation. Now that they knew it was someone within the base or someone having access to the base, they could begin to narrow down the suspects. 

"That's likely to be a long list, sir."

"I know, but we can then compare it to the list that Colonel O'Neill comes up with. Colonel, if Dr. Jackson and Major Carter are up to it, you could enlist their help in reviewing mission reports. If, of course, you feel there is no danger to them medically, doctor." Hammond glanced at Fraiser and seeing her nod her approval, turned to Jack.

"Yes, sir." Jack was ready to find this animal and anything he could do was better than doing nothing.

"Carry on, people. We'll meet again at 1000 tomorrow. See if we can zero in on a possible suspect. Dismissed."

* * *

Two unproductive days later, Jack walked into the infirmary to see both Daniel and Carter sitting on the sides of their beds, dressed in civvies. 

"Hey."

"Hi, Jack."

"Morning, sir." 

"What's up? Going somewhere?" Jack raised his eyebrows, noting that both his teammates looked better. Bruises still evident, they were nevertheless clear eyed. 

"Well, Colonel, I'm releasing them. That is, I am, on one condition." Janet Fraiser had walked up behind him.

"Condition?"

"Yes, sir, I'm sending Major Carter home. Teal'c will stay with her while she recuperates. And I will be releasing Daniel if I can find someone to take him home and keep an eye on him. Now, who could we get? You don't suppose we could get Lt. Davison to take him home with her." The doc had a twinkle in her eye. 

"Save me, Jack!" 

Davison stood over in the corner with a grin on her face and laughter in her eyes. 

Actually, Jack knew all about Fraiser's plans to release his teammates. He had discussed it with General Hammond, Teal'c, and the doctor herself the night before. It had become obvious with the latest assault that the team wasn't as safe inside the mountain as first thought. 

Security had been assigned to all members of SG1 since Teal'c was attacked and Fraiser had made sure that Carter and Daniel had one-on- one nursing. This had ensured that neither had been left alone and vulnerable as they recovered. There had since been no further attacks but Jack was sure it was only a matter of time.

Smiling now at his friend, Jack grabbed the wheelchair and rolled it right up to the bed. "Come on, Daniel, let's go. I have the feeling half the nursing staff would offer you a place to recover. But, that's just not happening. I want you where I can keep an eye on you."

Jack helped Daniel into the wheelchair, contemplating everything that had happened. He had reviewed his past, trying to think who he had pissed off. He came up with several names, not the least of which was Kinsey, Simmons, Makepeace, Maybourne and several others from his more distant history. But Simmons was dead, Makepeace was in jail and Maybourne was secreted off world on another planet, courtesy of the Tok'ra and himself. Kinsey was too busy trying to get himself elected to be bothered. 

So who were the bastards who had attacked his team? What were they waiting for? And Jack was sure they were waiting. He could feel it. 

He had gone home the last two nights since Daniel and Carter were finally out of the woods. With heavily armed SF's patrolling the area around his house, he felt as if he were in a bubble with someone out there watching, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. Not knowing who was driving him crazy, slowly but surely. 

Jack was grateful there would continue to be a rotating watch on his house. Daniel still needed recovery time and would be staying with him. He had arranged for Teal'c to stay with Carter until his 2IC was back in fighting form. That, along with the security detail assigned to them, would hopefully keep them safe.

* * *

"Here, let me help you." Jack jumped up out of his chair and hurried over to assist his friend. Daniel was coming down the steps from the back into the living room and, steadying himself, had grabbed the wall.

"Thanks." Jack put an arm around Daniel's waist, giving him something solid to hold on to as he made his way to the couch. 

"You okay?" Jack could see that Daniel was a little pale after the short walk from the bedroom. He watched as the archeologist sat back and took a couple of deep breaths.

"Yeah. I was tired of looking at the four walls back there and I've slept more than I want to admit. Just needed to get up and move around. Got a little dizzy. But don't tell Janet about that." 

"My lips are sealed." 

"Good." There was a grin on Daniel's face but Jack could see that Daniel was attempting to hide just how badly he was feeling. 

"How about something to eat? I have some soup on the stove simmering and I could make sandwiches." 

"Maybe some of the soup. Here, let me help." Daniel tried to stand but Jack stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

"Just stay put. I'll bring a tray for both of us." Jack left his friend sitting on the couch and made his way into the kitchen. 

Standing at the stove, stirring the soup, he looked out the kitchen window towards the tree line. He could see one of the SF's checking the perimeter and he could hear some of the chatter between the men coming over the small radio he had hooked to his belt. He had the sound turned down low but it was a constant reminder that this wasn't just another normal Saturday afternoon at home. 

Daniel had been here for two days, and there had been only peace and quiet. But Jack had a foreboding sense that they were out there, watching, waiting. 

Just then, the doorbell rang. Setting the ladle on the spoon rest, Jack headed for the door. He was expecting Fraiser any minute. She was stopping to check on Daniel to see how he was progressing. 

Jack secretly thought Daniel was trying to push himself too hard, maybe even felt a little guilty for getting injured, despite Jack's reassurances to the contrary. He hoped Fraiser backed him up on that. He would have to work that guilt out of his friend in the meantime. 

Reaching the front door, he opened it to find one of the SF's standing there with a very nervous-looking young man in a delivery uniform. He was holding a small box about a foot in length with his clipboard resting on top. The insignia was one of a local delivery company and everything looked in order. 

"Lieutenant?" 

"Sir, this guy says he has a delivery for you." Jack could see the Marine had scared the poor boy into the middle of next week. He didn't look any older than eighteen. 

"What'cha got there, son." 

"Delivery for Colonel Jack O'Neill." The shaking in the kid's voice was quite evident and it was all Jack could do not to laugh.

"I'm O'Neill." Taking the clipboard, Jack signed for the package and tipped the kid. 

Nodding to the SF, he started to close the door but one look at the box stopped him. It was plain, brown, with no return address. Alarm bells began going off inside his head.

"Lieutenant Jacobs." Jack saw the young man turn back.

"Yes, sir?'

"Code orange." Jack heard a gruff "Acknowledged!" as he slowly walked out the front door and gently place the box on the front lawn. In the background, he could hear the lieutenant alerting the other SF and then calling for the bomb disposal unit.

Stepping away from the box, Jack quickly moved inside and headed for the living room. 

"Daniel. We're leaving."

"Jack?"

"Let's go." Pulling his friend up off the couch, Jack reached for his radio. 

"Lieutenant Jacobs. Dr. Jackson and I are headed out the doors on the deck." He could hear Jacobs's telling him the bomb disposal unit from Peterson Air Force base was on its way. 

As Jack and Daniel moved down the deck steps, the two SF's ran and surrounded them, putting themselves between the two men and any unseen enemy. 

"Jack, a bomb?" 

"I don't know Daniel. I only know that there's no return address on the package and the only delivery I'm expecting is a camera. Let's just say, it's better to take a few precautions." Jack saw his friend nod, and noted the sweat beading up on his pale face.

"Here, Daniel, sit down." Jack eased Daniel down to the grass and immediately saw the color start to return to his friend's face. 

"Sergeant, do you have a blanket in your vehicle? Good. Give me your side arm and then get it for me, would you." The young marine gave him a quick, "Yes sir!" and, handing him the gun, headed for the truck. 

As he waited for the blanket, he scanned the area, looking for signs of danger, knowing... no, feeling that they were being watched. Pulling his cell phone out, he made two quick calls; one to Carter's house to give Teal'c a heads up, and one to the mountain.

* * *

The bomb disposal unit came and quickly determined that the package was not hot. Major Foster carried the package over to Jack, who was standing next to Daniel. 

"Sir, its safe, but you better take a look."

Taking the box, Jack looked inside to see a small alarm clock, and a note. The message only reinforced what he had been feeling the last two days. 

'It's only a matter of time, O'Neill. You can't hide and the clock is ticking'. 

Jack felt a chill run through him. "Shit! Come on, you bastard! Just come on!" 

"Jack, he's trying to rattle you." Daniel was looking over his shoulder into the box. Jack nodded, acknowledging his friend's comment.

Asking to be kept informed, Jack handed the box to the forensics team and turned to help Daniel move back into the house.

* * *

The next day, Jack sat at his desk, going through SG1's old mission reports again. He felt calmer and more centered after a session in the gym. His team had kept him company as he worked through his demons, helping him deal with his emotions, enabling him to refocus on the task ahead. 

He looked at Daniel, who sat across from him going through SG1's mission files. He could see that he had set aside a couple of folders, but the bulk of the reports were being returned to the file cabinet.

Jack had reviewed his own personnel file and there were several incidences during his Special Ops days which had potential. He had made a list of possible suspects, but the list was short. There was always the possibility that the stalker was someone he didn't know, someone who had picked him out for some imagined offense. He just wished the person would get it over with and come after him.

"Jack, I've been through all the files. I only came up with a few possibilities. You want to take a look?" Daniel sat back and took off his glasses. Jack watched as his friend pinched the bridge of his nose and then let his head fall back. Jack could see that the archeologist had another headache. Daniel had continued to recover. The swelling in his face and particularly his eye was still present but it was receding. The bruises were fading; Daniel was now sporting the green and yellow of healing in progress. Jack could see that Daniel was still tired easily but each day he was a little stronger and was sleeping less and less. 

"Yeah, I'll take a look. We still have about forty minutes until our meeting with the general. Why don't you relax on the couch and close you eyes for a few minutes?" Daniel sat up straighter.

Jack raised his hand and stopped his friend's denial before it started. 

"You still aren't a hundred percent yet and you really need to take it easy. Please, just do as I ask." Jack could see Daniel wanted to argue with him. "Don't make me make it an order. Or better yet, don't make me haul you down to the infirmary." 

"Okay, Jack, I could do with a little nap." Daniel moved to the couch and lay down. Jack watched as his eyes closed. 

"Jack, you know, don't you, that this isn't your fault. No one blames you." 

When he didn't answer right away, Daniel continued. "There is some crazy out there determined to kill you. Whatever is going on, it's his fault. You can't start doubting yourself now, and you can't start feeling guilty. It's what he wants. He wants you to second guess every decision you've ever made or will make. He wants you off balance. If you let yourself get caught up in that, you make yourself vulnerable, and he wins."

Jack smiled. Daniel had a good handle on what was going on inside his head. Getting up, he walked over to the couch and took the blanket off the back and covered Daniel with it. 

"You're starting to sound a lot like me." Jack ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Thanks." There was a gruffness in his voice as he kept a fragile hold on his emotions. "Now take a nap. I'll wake you when it's time to head for the briefing room." Daniel grinned at him and, turning on his side, once again closed his eyes. Jack returned to his files with a new determination.

* * *

The follow-up meeting with the general had been cancelled and rescheduled for 0900 hours the next morning because Ferretti was still doing some cross referencing of the tagged personnel files and needed additional time. So General Hammond had sent everyone else home with orders to get some rest.

Lt. Johnson gave Jack and Daniel a small wave as they got out of the truck and walked to the front door. Acknowledging the wave with a nod of his head, Jack glanced over his shoulder before entering, peripherally checking the area, thankful, that for the moment, that all was quiet. 

Stepping into his house, he allowed Daniel inside, but signaled for him to stay by the door. Pulling his gun, Jack quickly and quietly checked the house and the basement for any signs of an intruder. 

"All clear, Daniel." Walking back down the hall, he joined his friend in the living room. Jack was surprised to see Daniel standing, immobile, in front of the coffee table, staring down. 

"What?" When there wasn't any response from his friend, Jack moved closer. "Daniel?"

"Jack, he's been here." The tone in his friend's voice sent a chill down his spine. 

Looking over Daniel's shoulder, he was able to see what held his attention. There, sitting on the table, was a picture. A couple of months before, Jack had hosted a barbeque. All of SG1 had attended, as had the doc, Cassie, SG2, Hammond and a few others from the mountain. Cassie had spent a lot of time snapping pictures of everyone, catching many unaware that they were being observed. 

One of Jack's favorite photos was of Daniel, Carter and himself smiling at a remark Teal'c had made. He didn't remember exactly what he'd said but the three of them had burst into peals of laughter, and Cassie had taken a picture just at that moment. 

One of the reasons he loved it was the complete abandon with which they were all enjoying the joke, and if he looked closely, he could see that slight smirk on Teal'c's face that let him know he'd made the remark purposefully. The instances when they all forgot the battle to save Earth and defeat the Goa'uld were few and far between. This had been one of those moments. 

Now, on the table in front of him, was this same picture. It had been removed from its frame and been placed where he couldn't miss it. Looking at it now, Jack could see that each of his team's faces had been blackened out, leaving only his own visible. The stalker had drawn concentric circles around his image, each one smaller then the others, leaving his face at the center. A bull's eye.

The message was clear, he was the target and the assassin didn't care who he had to go through. 

Jack began to move automatically, rechecking the house for signs of the intruder. 

"Johnson? Bates?" Jack called for the SF's patrolling his property. When neither man answered his call, Jack instinctively knew something was wrong. 

"Daniel, down! Cover!" Jack grabbed his friend's arm, dropping to the floor, pulling his friend with him. Daniel didn't argue, moving away from the windows as he hugged the carpet, and Jack thanked the good Lord for the years of training the archeologist had with the rest of SG1. Although Daniel would argue with him at the most inopportune times, he knew when Jack sensed danger; he could read him, his body language, and didn't hesitate.

"Jack?" 

"I'm gonna go out the back and circle around. You stay here."

"No. I'm going with you. You need someone to watch your back." Jack looked at his friend and saw the resolve in his face. Nodding, he motioned for Daniel to stay low. 

Hugging the floor, they started crawling for the kitchen. Without warning, the sliding glass door exploded, showering them with flying debris. Jack flattened himself, pulling Daniel with him. 

And then, silence reigned. With a small wave of his hand, Jack signaled for Daniel to move with him into the hall leading to the bedrooms. 

Lying there on the floor, Jack looked at Daniel and noted that he only had a couple of nicks, and there weren't any new major injuries. There were no more windows breaking, in fact, it was deathly quiet.

* * *

Within an hour, Jack was watching the military EMS unit from the Academy Hospital pull out of his driveway with both Bates and Johnson in the back. When back up had arrived, a perimeter check had been done. Both the airmen had been found, unconscious and restrained, possibly drugged. Although they wouldn't know until they had been examined, the medics had reassured Jack that the men's vitals were stable.

Walking back into the house, Jack could see Teal'c and Carter, who had arrived ten minutes after Daniel's call, talking with the Major Richards of security from the mountain. They had been checking for fingerprints or any other evidence that might have been left by the perpetrator. 

Jack heard Daniel talking on the phone. "No, it needs to be done today, as soon as possible." There was a pause as Daniel listened. Then, "Of course, not a problem. We'll see you in an hour." 

"Daniel?" Jack looked questioningly at his friend.

"I arranged for the glass to be replaced." 

"Thanks." Jack gripped the archeologist's shoulder and gave him a nod. Seeing Daniel close his eyes for a second, Jack noticed how pale the young man looked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Daniel protested, but allowed himself to be led to the sofa. Jack was glad that Daniel now responded to his suggestion and sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

With Daniel safely ensconced on the couch, Jack turned and spoke to the others in the room, "Carter, Teal'c, find anything?"

"Sir, we found this bullet buried in the wall above the fireplace. Major Richards concurs that it's from a high-powered rifle. Also, it looks like they got in through the back door." 

"Yes sir. Unless you were looking for it, you wouldn't have seen the scratches that were made when the lock was picked. I suggest a deadbolt be installed as soon as you can, sir." Major Richards added his findings from the investigation.

"But other then that, sir, there's not a lot. No fingerprints anywhere. Because of the routine check-ins being conducted by security, we know he has to have been here in the last three or four hours. Sir?" Jack heard the hesitation in Carter's voice before she continued. "Are you sure the man you saw walking the perimeter when you returned home was Lt. Johnson?"

"Sam?" Daniel sat forward on the couch, a look of dread on his face. 

Jack knew what Carter was thinking and he sure as hell didn't like where it was going. Rubbing a hand across his face, he turned away from the group. The fear for his friends and family had just escalated. Could he really have been that lax that he hadn't noticed?

"Sir, we have no idea how long the SF's were out of commission. The team did report at 1300, right on time. You arrived home at approximately 1630. They could have been here for hours waiting for your return. The securi-"

"I got it, Carter." The anger in his voice stopped the major mid- sentence. Feeling the weight of everything coming down hard, he reiterated softly. "I got it." Then, "No, I can't be sure it was Johnson. I didn't get a good look at his face. I saw the uniform and never looked beyond that. //Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have known better.// Jack sighed, his frustration obvious. 

"O'Neill, it is a mistake that any person could make, myself included." Teal'c moved closer and placed a hand on his team leader's shoulder. 

Acknowledging Teal'c with a nod, Jack looked around the room. His team offered their silent support as forensics continued their investigation. 

"I need a drink." Jack muttered under his breath.

* * *

Four hours later, the team sat in the living room, drinks in hand. The repair of the door was complete and forensics had left. No additional evidence had been found and that left Jack frustrated and feeling helpless. Daniel didn't need to do anything but look at his friend's face to know what was going through his head. 

Ferretti had dropped off his latest, trimmed down list of base personnel who fit the profile discussed at the meeting with Hammond. As Ferretti had predicted, the list was still long and would have to be further narrowed down by Jack and the rest of SG1. 

Now Daniel watched as Sam and Teal'c worked alongside Jack, reviewing the list. They had all been at it for two hours and the fatigue was beginning to show on them all. 

Daniel could see that Jack's patience was wearing thin. He kept tapping his pen on the coffee table and rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. Daniel decided that enough was enough.

"Jack." 

"Yeah?" Jack sounded distracted.

"Jack." Daniel spoke a little louder, pulling Jack's gaze to him.

"Daniel?" 

"Let's call it a night, huh?" 

"Yeah, you need to get to bed. Fraiser would have my head for not making sure you were getting enough rest." Jack stood and walked over to Daniel.

Daniel got up without assistance and turned to Jack, placing his hands on his shoulders. "No, Jack. You need to rest. We all do. It's been a lousy day and we're all tired. Let's all go to bed and start fresh in the morning."

Daniel could see warring emotions cross Jack's face and then, the moment of resignation.

"Yeah." Then, turning to Sam and Teal'c, "Okay, let's wrap it up for the night. Daniel's right. We'll all be clearer after a good night's sleep." Within thirty minutes, Jack and Teal'c had double checked the SF's patrolling and all four members of SG1 were bedded down under lock and key, with the alarm system activated.

* * *

Jack hadn't slept well. It was 0445 and he was up in the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee after having taken a shower and dressing. Daniel had shared his room, giving the guest room over to Teal'c for the night, and he hadn't even shifted when Jack had climbed out of bed, a testament to his fatigue. Carter, the only one short enough to sleep comfortably on the couch, had crashed in the living room. All was quiet, but Jack figured he would have company as soon as the smell of coffee began to waft through the house. He'd been going over all that had happened since Daniel had first been attacked. He hadn't come to any conclusions, and wasn't any closer to an answer. He was tired, not just physically but mentally, and he wished whoever was behind all this would just get on with it. He could deal with danger when staring it in the face, but someone was out there, lurking in the shadows, and all his senses remained on high alert. 

Grabbing coffee cups out of the cabinet, Jack lined them up on the counter for his team and then filled one and took a drink. With his coffee in hand, he walked to the back door. 

Jack could see the sky getting lighter as the sun made ready to begin its daily journey across the Colorado sky. The high clouds, caught in the first rays, were glowing with the oranges, golds and pinks of dawn. 

The silence of the night was giving way to the sounds of morning. There was the chirping of birds as they awakened, and a dog was barking in the distance. He heard a whistle which seemed to silence the dog and he assumed it had to be the canine's owner calling him back. 

He lived in a quiet spot with few neighbors and, when not at the cabin, this was his refuge from the whirlwind of activity that consumed his life at the SGC. This was where he came at the end of the day, where he could be just Jack O'Neill. It was the place where he could watch hockey, read his fishing magazines, and entertain his friends. He wanted that peace to return.

Jack heard a soft sound behind him and turned in time to see Daniel shuffle into the kitchen. He had thrown his robe on but hadn't bothered to tie the belt. It flapped open to reveal his boxers and tee shirt. Jack smiled as he watched his friend run a hand through his hair, mussing it even further, and then try, unsuccessfully, to cover a yawn. 

"Daniel, it's early yet. Go back to bed."

Daniel pointed towards the counter and mumbled "coffee" as he made his way to the cups. 

Feeling a little guilty for brewing the pot, Jack rolled his eyes, knowing it wouldn't do any good to try and dissuade his friend from his goal. But if he was being honest, he had to admit that he'd known the fragrance of the coffee would probably draw Daniel, if not, then Carter.

Jack watched as Daniel made his way to the kitchen table and lowered himself into a chair. He had to smile when a look of sheer bliss crossed Daniel's face as he took his first sip. He knew it would be a few minutes before anything intelligent came out of Daniel's mouth so he went back to leaning against the back door and watching the sunrise.

Hearing Daniel get up to refill his cup a few minutes later, Jack turned and placed his where it could be refilled, too. Then picking up both, Jack carried them to the table, Daniel following. 

"Couldn't sleep, I take it."

Jack nodded at Daniel's observation. "Yeah, going over things in my mind, trying to figure out who could be behind this." Jack stared into his coffee cup, beginning to again review what they knew. "I know I haven't led a perfect life, but I just can't seem to make much sense of all this."

"This isn't your fault. I told you that yesterday, nothing's changed." 

"I keep telling myself that but-" The rest of Jack's sentence was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

"O'Neill."

"I see you're up early." The husky whisper sent a chill down his spine. "What's wrong, O'Neill? Can't sleep?"

Jack was angered over the tinge of amusement in the voice. "Early to bed, early to rise, so they say." Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and mouthed for him to awaken Teal'c and Carter. Understanding dawned and Daniel moved quickly and quietly from the room. 

"So, is Jackson there with you now?" The voice laughed as Jack tried to figure out who it was. There was a sense of familiarity as he listened.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Jack stood and began to pace, back and forth, back and forth, anger in every footstep. 

"What do I want?" There was more laughing and then volatile anger. "What do I want? I want you dead, O'Neill! Dead! Do you hear me?" 

"Why?" Jack tried to hold his temper and not let this man goad him into saying anything stupid, but it was hard. 

Jack heard footsteps and then there was a hand on his shoulder, stilling his movement, lending strength. Turning, he could see Daniel had returned with Teal'c and Carter. All three were standing close, listening to his side of the conversation. Carter had her cell out, calling the base. The day before, security had suggested they monitor Jack's phone, see if they could trace any calls. Jack had okay'd it and now he was glad he had.

The voice on the phone pulled him back. "You want to know how dead I want you. Go to the window overlooking the street and you'll see. Better hurry!" With that, the caller hung up. 

Snapping his phone closed, Jack moved quickly to the study, with his team following closely behind. Keeping the lights off, he made his way to the side of the window as he waved his team back. Peeking around the drape, Jack looked out. All seemed quiet. The security van sat out front along with Sam's car. There wasn't any traffic or people to be seen, but it was still early. 

Looking carefully, Jack scanned the trees for signs of his stalker, hoping he would show himself. He was out there somewhere, Jack could feel it.

Without warning, a loud explosion shattered the morning quiet. Jack was thrown to the floor along with the rest of SG1 as the study window imploded.

* * *

All of SG1 were on gurneys in the emergency room of the Academy Hospital. Janet had arrived soon after them and was now helping the ER doctor. The security van that had exploded was now a pile of ruins. She thanked heaven that the SF's had not been anywhere near when it had gone up. 

Luckily enough, the members of SG1 were not injured too badly. All had lacerations that required suturing and Daniel, who had lost consciousness for a few moments, had just returned from MRI. He was still a little dazed and she had wanted to make sure that his previous injuries had not been complicated by the explosion. 

The local police had been called by someone and had shown up along with the fire department. All the questions had added to the pressure. Hammond had been called and he'd been busy putting a spin on what'd happened. She had no idea what story the general had concocted but a few minutes before, she'd seen relief cross the colonel's face when the police officers had shook his hand and left. 

She refocused her attention on her current patient. Sam had a laceration on her left shoulder. According to the major, as the window shattered, she had rolled when she hit the floor. The glass had still been imbedded when she had arrived in the ER. But Janet had removed it, cleaned the area and sutured the tear. Sam's lacerations would heal fine, as would everyone's. Their psyches might be a different story; Janet knew she would have to keep an eye on the team, especially Colonel O'Neill.

"Hey Doc, can we get out of here?" 

"Yes Colonel, you can go. I want to talk with the radiologist and check Daniel's MRI before he leaves, but the rest of you are free to go. I want you to try and take it easy and get some rest. " When Jack rolled his eyes, Janet just sighed and continued. "Yes, I know, just do the best you can." 

"How long do you think it will be before Daniel can leave, Janet?" She could feel the worry radiating from Sam.

Janet saw the colonel walk over to Daniel's bed and gently brush the hair from his face. The archeologist had been returned to his cubicle in the ER and had laid down on the gurney. The nurse had taken his vital signs again and then he'd drifted off to sleep. Janet was concerned that the force of the blast might have re-injured him. 

"Let me call the radiologist, and then I can give you a better idea."

* * *

Daniel drifted towards consciousness. He could hear the faint beep of a heart monitor and the soft sound of snoring. Opening his eyes, he could see a faint light coming from the bathroom, which revealed that he was in the hospital again. 

His head ached and he was glad that the room lights were out. He tried to think how he had come to be here. Then he remembered; the explosion, the trip to the ER, and Janet insisting he be admitted overnight for observation. 

He also remembered one of the nurses giving him some pain medication through his IV, hearing Jack tell Sam and Teal'c to head home and get some sleep and then Jack accompanying him as he was moved to a room. Cautiously rotating his head, he zeroed in on the source of the snoring. 

Jack sat in one of the big hospital chairs next to him, with his feet propped up on the end of his bed. His head was cupped in his hand and he was leaning against the mattress, sleeping. The shadows under his eyes, the bandage on his forehead, the sound of snoring and the fact that Jack hadn't awakened when he had, revealed more to Daniel then Jack would want.

Just then, the door was opened by an SF to admit a nurse. She quietly moved to Daniel's bedside and began to take his blood pressure. She started to ask a question, but he raised a hand and waved it at his slumbering friend. She smiled, then nodded and finished her duties quietly. 

As the door shut behind the retreating woman, Daniel closed his eyes and started to drift again. Then he heard a cell phone ring. Opening his eyes, he could see that Jack was sleeping through the noise. Insistent, it rang several times, finally rousing him.

* * *

"O'Neill" 

"Colonel, this is Major Richards. I'm outside. I have something you should see."

"What is it, Major?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. I think you ought to come down and take a look."

"Very well. Where are you?" Jack saw Daniel looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"I'm in the parking structure, second floor. I'll meet you at the elevator."

"I'm on my way." Jack closed his cell and turned to his friend.

"I have to go check on something, Daniel. I'll be right back." He patted the archeologist's arm, attempting to reassure him.

"Jack, take one of the guards with you." He could see the apprehension in Daniel's eyes. 

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. Major Richards has something he wants me to check out. I'm just going to the parking garage." Jack could see that Daniel wasn't convinced. "Okay, okay. I'll take an SF with me. Satisfied?" 

Daniel visibly relaxed.

"Now, go to sleep and I'll be back before you know it."

Jack stood there for a couple of minutes rubbing Daniel's arm. When he was sure the younger man had drifted off to sleep, he left the room. 

Outside the door, Jack looked at the guards and nodded. "One of you, with me."

As Lieutenant Parks stepped forward, Jack ordered the second guard to remain at his post. "I'm going downstairs to talk to Major Richards. Do not, under any circumstances, leave Dr. Jackson alone."

"Yes sir!" Nodding, Jack headed for the elevator with the SF in tow. 

Stopping by the nurses' station, he informed Captain Perkins, Daniel's nurse, that he would be gone for a few minutes. 

"Of course, Colonel. I'll stay keep an eye on him until you return."

Jack smiled and thanked her, then pushed the button to call the elevator. With Daniel sleeping, it made him feel better to have someone there, with him all the time. 

He and Parks reached the garage a few minutes later. It was late and the lights of the parking structure shone brightly. All seemed quiet as Jack punched the up button. The elevator door opened immediately and they hopped on, heading for the second floor. 

Major Richards was waiting when he reached his destination. "This way, sir."

"What is it, Major? What did you find?" Jack saw Richards turning out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, something didn't feel right. It was at that moment he felt a small jab in his thigh. 

Jack staggered back and saw Richards pointing a gun at him. Parks stood off to the side, also holding a weapon on him.

"What's this?" Jack started toward the security officer, intent on taking the gun away, if possible. 

Grabbing the gun, Jack struggled with the man for control. But weakness was beginning to seep into his body. It was taking all his strength to stay standing and keep some control of Richard's gun hand. His head was spinning and nausea swept through him. He could hear Parks laughing and it all seemed so surreal.

With a surge of adrenalin, Jack ripped the handgun from the man who had attacked him. Lurching away, he brought the gun up but felt the sway in his body. He was losing the battle to stay conscious. 

"Give me your handcuffs!" Jack knew he had to secure the men and get help before he passed out. Richards just joined Parks in laughing. And SG1's team leader knew he had heard that laugh only a few hours ago. 

Jack went down as his legs buckled beneath him and his hands lost all feeling. He heard the crack of the gun hitting the garage floor as it slipped from his grip. Sharp pain radiated through his shoulders and hips when he made contact with the pavement. 

"You didn't think I would make it that easy for you, did you, O'Neill?" Richards started to laugh again, and that sound accompanied Jack as consciousness receded and the darkness enveloped him.

* * *

Daniel woke suddenly. He could hear voices outside his door but couldn't make out what was being said. Turning his head, he could see that the chair was empty and from the subdued lighting, it appeared to still be the middle of the night.

But something wasn't right. The noises in the hall started to get louder and now Daniel recognized the deep bass of Teal'c's voice. Hitting his call bell for the nurse, Daniel threw off his covers and sat up quickly. Maybe too quickly as the room seemed to tilt on its axis, and he had to grab the bedside table to keep his body upright. Daniel waited for things to stop moving, and then started tugging at his IV lines. He had to know what was going on, he had a bad feeling something wasn't right. 'Where's Jack?'

The door to the room opened to admit a nurse and Teal'c. 

"Dr. Jackson, stop. You need to remain on the heart monitor. Ahhhh, you've pulled out your IV." 

"Teal'c, what's wrong? Where's Jack? I know something's wrong, tell me." Daniel continued to remove the medical monitors, intent on leaving. His hands were shaking and he could feel himself swaying back and forth.

"Daniel Jackson, lie down." Daniel finally admitted to himself that he was lightheaded so he reluctantly abandoned his attempts to leave. He closed his eyes and dropped back on the bed, feeling hands support him. 

"Teal'c, what's going on?" Daniel tried opening his eyes as the dizziness started to ease. Teal'c or the nurse had turned on the soft bedside lamp, thankfully keeping the lights dim.

"O'Neill is missing."

"Missing?" The bad feeling Daniel had awakened with was getting worse.

* * *

Slowly, Jack regained consciousness. Dizziness and nausea only made the headache worse. He felt like he had been on a three day drinking binge, and hadn't recovered from the hangover yet. 

As awareness came to him, he realized that he was tied to a chair. Opening his eyes, he was blinded by bright lights shining directly at him from several directions. Squinting, he tried to block some of the brilliance contributing to the pounding in his head. He couldn't see beyond the lighted area and had no idea if he was alone. 

'What the hell was going on? How did I get here'? It dawned on him how much this reminded him of his frequent interrogations in Iraq. The only thing missing was the 110 degree temperature and dust.

"Hello! Anyone here?" His voice echoed back to him. It sounded like he might be in a warehouse or at least something that size. And then he remembered...Richards. 'What the hell did he ever do to the head of SGC security?'

"Richards, you bastard! You might as well show your face. I know you're here!" Jack tested his bonds, finding them tight. His hands, which were tied behind him, were numb. He had feeling in his feet and legs but they were secured to the chair, and there was no give.

"You're right, O'Neill. I'm here. Did you have a nice sleep?" There was no mistaking the mocking voice as it moved closer. 

"What the hell is going on?" Jack could hear booted footsteps walking in a circle outside the illuminated area where he was restrained. 

"You took someone from me, someone I loved. And for that you're gonna pay." The intensity of the lights lessened as a figure stepped into the circle. 

"What are you talking about? I never met you until a few months ago." Jack continued to work at trying to release his hands, hoping he could keep the guy talking. 

"Oh, you're right when you say we only met recently, but your actions changed my life forever, and that's what I can't forgive." Richards was angry. "Tell me why should you live, when Annie is dead?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't know any Ann..." Jack was cut off by a punch to his face. He hadn't seen it coming, hit from out of the blue. Pain crashed through his right cheek and eye, and blood began running down his face. He was in trouble and he knew it. At least Daniel knew who he was meeting, but the big challenge was in staying alive until they found him.

Reeling from the blow, he heard another voice... Parks? "Shut up! Shut up! Don't you dare act as if you don't know what he means! Don't you dare!" A strike to his midsection knocked the wind out of him. His chair was shoved over onto its side, causing a sharp jolt of pain to his shoulder and then, to add insult to injury, his assailant kicked him. 

"Arrrgghh!" Jack heard and felt the snap of a rib as it was broken. In one swift movement, the pain escalated from endurable to excruciating. Now he was having trouble catching his breath. 

"Okay, that's enough. We don't want to kill him too quickly. We still haven't taken care of the rest of SG1." 

"I'm tired of playing games, Major. Let's just get this over with, he doesn't deserve to live." Jack could hear Parks next to him; anger and frustration evident in his voice. 

"No, now what fun would that be? We still have three other people to deal with and think how much pain we can inflict letting the colonel watch them die."

'Oh God. They're going after my team again. Why?'

"Why?"

'Damn, I must have said that out loud'.

"Well, I'm going to let you think about that a little, O'Neill." Jack felt himself lifted, chair and all, back into an upright position. "I still have a few fish to fry." 

Looking up, Jack could see both his assailants standing in front of him, their faces shrouded in shadows. But he could see the smile on the major's face and it was enough to send chills down his spine. 

"You know, I guess I called a little too early the other day. If I had waited five more minutes, your Jaffa would be dead and you would've already attended one funeral." 

Jack glared at his tormentors. 

"Now, Parks is going to stick around and keep an eye on you. I have a few plans to make. I would suggest you don't make him mad. I'd be most disappointed if I couldn't join in the fun. But don't despair, Colonel. You'll soon have company." Jack heard that same maniacal laughter as Richards made his way to the door.

His only hope lay in the fact that Daniel knew who he had been meeting.

* * *

"All right, Daniel. You can leave." Daniel hopped off the bed and headed into the bathroom to change, leaving the door slightly ajar. 

"I think the dizziness was from the pain med you had in the ER. I don't think it'll continue to be a problem." Janet heard a muffled "Okay" as she sat waiting for Daniel to reappear. "Sam is just down the hall, talking to the security guard that was on duty when the colonel left. Teal'c is looking at last night's security video. As soon as they're finished, they're meeting with General Hammond in the hospital conference room." 

Daniel emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the jeans and tee shirt Sam had brought him. He combed his hair back with his hands, removing some of the sleep spikes. Janet stood and handed him his leather jacket from the bed. 

"Daniel, even though I cleared you to leave, take it easy. I don't think the explosion did any damage, it was probably shock. But you still aren't fully recovered, and that can cause you to fatigue more easily." She could see Daniel glancing frequently at the door, impatient to leave. 

"Remember to call me if any of the symptoms return. Now go, get out of here. Figure out who's taken Colonel O'Neill." 

"Thanks, Janet." Daniel nodded.

* * *

SG1 minus one sat in the conference room with General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser, and Colonel Ferretti. While Janet had been with Daniel checking him over, Sam had ordered additional security to be posted at strategic points around the hospital. In addition, the building and the grounds were searched. Colonel O'Neill, of course, had not been found.

Now, she and the others watched the security tapes. In the first video, the colonel could be seen leaving the hospital by the front entrance, accompanied by Lt. Parks. As the video continued, she was shocked but not surprised to see the colonel assaulted and kidnapped. What surprised her were the men responsible, Major Richards and Lieutenant Parks. 

The tape ended and Teal'c exchanged it for a second. "This is a view from a security camera at the opposite end of the structure." Teal'c put in the second tape. 

In the distance, the kidnapping could again be seen in its entirety. Just prior to the fight, Richards was seen hitting Jack in the thigh. When the car appeared, there was an Air Force logo on the side of the sedan, and the two men put Jack in the trunk. Once done, they got in the car, driving towards the camera and the exit. The license plate was visible, along with a good shot of the kidnappers. 

The room's occupants were quiet as Teal'c put in one last tape showing a view of the exit of the garage with the car leaving, and the direction it took. When finished, Teal'c removed the tape and turned back to the table. 

"Major Richards must have known about the security cameras. Why choose to abduct the colonel in such a public place?" McGuire was the first to speak. 

"What's the connection between Richard and Parks? And what's their connection to Jack? There must be something." Daniel had his own questions. 

"At least we know how Teal'c was attacked. Who better to have access to the mountain complex but the head of security?" Sam interjected. "He also could doctor any security tapes. And I'd bet one of them or both have a background in demolitions."

"Richards must have sedated the colonel, or at least it looks like a possibility." Dr. Fraiser had been watching the tape closely. 

"We must find them before they can harm O'Neill again."

"Okay, people. I'll contact the local and state police and ask them to put out an APB on the car. Colonel Ferretti, you will be their liaison. Teal'c, contact Captain McGuire of security and get several teams together. Begin by searching Richards and Parks' base quarters, and then their homes. Look for anything that may let us know where they may have taken Colonel O'Neill, and why.

"Major Carter, Dr. Jackson, now that we know who we're after, review the files and backgrounds of those two. Find the connection!" Hammond sat back and surveyed the group. "I don't need to tell you how important this is and Colonel O'Neill may not have much time. Get to it people"

* * *

Daniel and Sam headed down the hall towards the elevators. 

"Go ahead, Sam. I'm gonna duck in here." Daniel waved at the men's room. "I'll meet you in the lobby in a couple of minutes." 

"No, I'll wait right here for you." 

"Sam." Daniel looked at his friend and seeing the worry, hastened to reassure her. "I'll only be a few minutes. Go on ahead." When she didn't move, he continued. "We're in a hospital, Sam. I'm safe here. Those two are long gone. Don't worry. Now, go, I gotta pee." He watched Sam hesitate and then nod her head and turn for the elevators. 

Walking into the bathroom, the archeologist made quick use of the facilities. Moments, later, while drying his hands, Daniel's cell phone rang. 

"Hello." Daniel flipped his phone open, shoved it between his shoulder and chin, and then threw the paper towels in the trash.

"Dr. Jackson, how're you tonight? Have you recovered from our last meeting?" There was amusement in the voice Daniel remembered from the night of the attack. 

"Where's Jack?" Anger and fear for his friend made it hard to keep his voice under control.

"You think I'd really tell you. What fun would there be in that?" 

"What do you want, Richards, or is this Parks?" 

"Well, I guess anonymity would be impossible now, huh. This is Major Richards. Do you like how I played you all?" Daniel could hear the kidnapper laughing at him. When Daniel didn't respond, he continued. "Well, no matter. Now, I have a few plans to complete before I'm finished with SG1. By the way, Doctor, don't leave that room. Well, not until you've heard what I have to say." Daniel looked around as he listened to Richards.

"What room?" 

"Let's see. That would be the 2nd floor men's room across from the hospital elevators, if I'm not mistaken." Staggered by Richards' accuracy, Daniel spun around looking for the phantom military officer, convinced he had to be in the bathroom with him. 

"Now listen." The amusement quickly left the major's voice. "I've tapped into the security cameras at the hospital. I'll be able to see the minute you leave the room. So I suggest you do as I say." 

"What do you want?" Anger colored Daniel's voice.

"I want you to leave the hospital by the loading dock. Don't let anyone see you, or Colonel O'Neill is dead. Don't alert anyone. I'll be watching. If I see any suspicious moves on your part, he's dead, and so are you. Walk to the northeast corner of the hospital campus and you'll be picked up."

"Why should I? Jack is most likely dead anyway." Daniel tried to buy a little time.

"Do you remember the package I sent to the colonel last week?" There was a sharp edge to the man's voice now. "Well, there are several surprises set around the hospital which I can detonate at the touch of a button. Do I make my self clear?" 

"Yes." From previous experience, Daniel knew that Richards would most likely carry out his threat if pushed. He had to help Jack and he knew he was walking into a lion's den. 

"I want to see you leave, now! You have thirty seconds to finish up and get on the move. The clock is ticking. You know what I mean, Doctor? Tick tock, tick tock. Better move, Jackson." Daniel looked around as he closed his phone. He had to make Sam and Teal'c aware of what was happening, let them know about the bombs. He wasn't sure how he could help Jack. He had his phone but he had no idea if it was tapped. 

He would have to look for an opportunity to alert someone. Somehow he had to let Sam and Teal'c know so they could call for the bomb disposal unit and get the hospital evacuated if necessary. 

Following Richards directions, Daniel checked the hall and slipped down the stairs, undetected.

* * *

Daniel stood at the double doors leading to the loading dock. Looking through the small glass window at the top of one of the doors, Daniel could see an SF walking his way. He felt pulled to notify Sam and Teal'c and as he watched the guard's progress towards his location, Daniel weighed the risks of doing nothing or taking a chance and talking to this man. He could be on Richard's payroll. 

As the man stepped inside, Daniel made a quick decision and stopped him. Talking fast, he filled him in on what was happening and was able to secure the man's personal phone as a back up. 

Knowing he only had a minute or so before Richards became suspicious, Daniel opened the guard's phone and called Sam. Daniel whispered to the SF to stay with him for a moment as the phone rang on the other end. He prayed that he wasn't putting Jack in more jeopardy by delaying his departure for a couple of minutes.

"Carter."

"Sam, I need your help."

"Hey, where are you? I'm in the lobby waiting for you." He could hear the exasperation in his friend's voice.

"Sam, don't alert anyone that you're talking to me. Act as if you're talking to Pete or something and just listen." Daniel could hear voices in the background. "Richards is tapped into the security cameras of the hospital. He can see anyone in view of a camera and he says he's placed bombs in the hospital." 

"Bombs?" Sam whispered, but Daniel could sense the tension in her voice.

"Yeah, and if I don't follow his instructions, he'll start pushing buttons. Then he'll kill Jack."

"Okay." Sam laughed, but Daniel could hear the false note in her voice. 

"I'm at the loading dock." He quickly filled Sam in on what was happening and where Richards wanted him to go. He glanced out the windows every few seconds, feeling the need to get started, to get to Jack, to help him.

"I'm heading out now. Keep listening and I'll try to let you know where I am."

"Daniel, I'll try to follow but I need time to get to a car." 

Looking out the small windows one more time, he knew he had to move, and now. "Sam, I have to go. Evacuate the hospital, find the bombs. I'll leave this phone on and hopefully let you know where I'm taken." With that, Daniel slipped his phone into his pocket.

Daniel asked the SF to wait where he was, out of the view of the cameras for a while, just in case Richards was still watching, and walked out the door.

* * *

For the security teams, finding the 'explosives' was the easy part. The hospital staff was quietly alerted to look for anything out of place. Three similarly looking black boxes were quickly located and removed by bomb disposal. All found in low traffic areas, one had been located in storage closet for cleaning supplies, the second in the men's room in the basement near the loading dock, and the third was found on the roof behind the ventilation system. 

No other box had been located, so Ferretti felt secure in bringing in the dogs to do a more thorough search. Within a very short time, the hospital was declared secure. When the boxes were opened to be disarmed, the "bombs" had all been phonies, a hoax, a ploy to keep everyone busy. 

When Daniel had called Sam, she had alerted Ferretti and grabbed Teal'c, walking out the front entrance towards an Air Force sedan. But by the time the two had traveled to the spot Daniel had designated as the pickup point, all was quiet and their friend was gone. 

Sam had been listening to Daniel's running commentary as they were securing the vehicle. She'd had to turn up the volume so she could hear him. 

"Sam, I've just left the dock area. I'm across the parking lot, headed for the spot Richards told me to meet him." There was a pause and then, "I'm walking slowly, trying to give you enough time to get to a car. I'm almost to the corner. I don't see anyone. Wait, a white van is approaching. License number GP138-443, it looks like a Dodge but I'm not sure."

Another pause and then, "Sam, here we go. It's slowing to a stop." Sam could hear a motor and then the sound of a sliding door opening. 

"Well, doctor. You followed my instructions to the letter." The next few words were muffled and then what Sam heard sent chills down her spine.

"Jackson, get in. And give me the phone." There was some further un- identifiable noise. 

"You mean you didn't call the Major or the Jaffa? Why, how very brave of you. Get in." Sam heard the anger and vehemence in Richards' tone. She wasn't sure why she could still hear the conversation being carried on inside the van, but she had hopes that Daniel could lead them to Colonel O'Neill.

* * *

Daniel was shoved into the back of the van and secured with rope. When he'd arrived, Richards had immediately demanded Daniel's phone. Reaching into his pocket, Daniel had handed over his phone, thankful he'd thought to procure one from the SF. 

Daniel knew adrenalin was the only thing keeping him going. His head hurt and he could feel the encroaching desire to sleep. Janet had been correct, he hadn't quite recovered from the first go around with Richards and now, here he was again, less than a hundred percent and he had to figure out a way to help Jack.

"Richards, why are you doing this? What did Jack and SG1 do?" Daniel worked at trying to get loose, but his feet had also been secured, limiting his movement.

"Shut up, Jackson. You'll know soon enough." Richards concentrated on driving but Daniel could hear the uncontrolled anger in his voice.

"Come on, you can't just kill us without letting us know why. Driving me around town like this isn't helping. Let me out by this Circuit City and tell me where Jack is and you can leave. Get out of town fast. Just get on Interstate 25 here and keep going. You could be in Mexico or Canada in no time at all." Daniel hoped Sam and Teal'c were hearing this.

* * *

Jack was awake, but didn't open his eyes. Despite Richards' orders, Parks had continued to pound on him. As he took assessment of his various aches and pains, he knew he was in trouble. Every breath he took drove sharp daggers into his chest. His head hurt, and he was dizzy and nauseous, even with his eyes closed. 

Awareness had come to him slowly and he'd realized that he was no longer secured to the chair, which seemed odd. Feeling the floor beneath him, he knew he'd been moved. 

Barely opening his eyes, he tried to assess his situation. The surrounding area was dim, but he could make out the bars of a cage. Listening closely, all seemed quiet, making him wonder if he were alone. He didn't bank on that possibility, however; too many memories of past prisons were still buried in his psyche.

Making a decision, Jack rolled to his left side, causing him to groan at the increased agony. He waited for his breathing to ease a little, his head throbbing with each beat of his heart. Mentally gathering his strength, he placed his right hand on the floor and tried to push himself into an upright position. 

Shattering pain lanced through his back, chest and head, stealing his strength. Falling back, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for the latest onslaught to ease. 

"So O'Neill, ready for round two?"

* * *

Daniel could see that he had been driven to a warehouse area. He could hear Jack in his head and suddenly wanted to ask Richards about how cliché this whole scene was, but thought better of it. 

The area appeared deserted despite the fact that the sun was shining. Richards pulled the van up to a building and got out. Opening the sliding passenger door, he cut the restraints securing Daniel and then stepped back.

"Out!"

Daniel slowly followed Richards' order, looking for an opportunity to overpower him, but the pistol in the man's hand kept him in check. Stepping out, Daniel stumbled, falling against the building. Richards just laughed as Daniel caught himself, slowly standing up. Grabbing him by the arm, Richards shoved the archeologist towards the door. 

Daniel stepped into the building and blinked, the sudden dark blinding after being in the sun. As his vision slowly adjusted, Daniel could see that the building was huge and appeared deserted. 

"Parks!" the major called out. Not getting any answer, Richards pushed Daniel further into the building. 

As his eyes grew accustomed to the low lighting, he could now see his surroundings more clearly. There, ahead of him, in the middle of a brightly lit section, were a couple of chairs and a table. He could also see ropes and chains suspended from the steel support beams that were above the area. Getting closer, dark stains on the floor struck fear in Daniel and he glanced around, trying to locate Jack. 

Suddenly there was a loud groan and laughter off to the right. 

"Jack!"

Richards caught his shoulder, holding him in place as Daniel started to head for the sound.

"Parks, get your ass over here!" 

"Just having a little fun, Major." The delight in Parks' voice and the grin on his face when he came walking out of the surrounding shadows, sent chills through Daniel. 

Parks walked up and looked Daniel up and down. "Well, you seemed to have recovered quite nicely. Not too much damage from the explosion, huh, Doctor?" The lieutenant circled Daniel, threat evident in his posture and attitude.

Without warning, Parks hit him across his back, dropping Daniel to his knees. "You ready for action, Jackson?" Parks stood over him, laughing at his own joke.

"Not now, Parks. Put him in the cage." 

Daniel was hoisted to his feet and dragged into the dimness by the lieutenant. A cage came into view and as he got closer, Daniel could see someone on the floor of the enclosure. 

"Jack!" Pulling his arm loose from Parks, Daniel moved closer to the bars. His friend was lying on his side, unconscious. "What have you done?" Daniel whispered.

Parks slammed Daniel up against the cage, holding him in place as he unlocked the door. Once open, he shoved Daniel inside, watching him fall to the floor and then, locked the door.

Daniel scrambled on his hands and knees, moving quickly to Jack's side. 

"Jack? Wake up, Jack." When he didn't get any response Daniel continued to talk softly as he turned the man onto his back. "Hey, Jack. Looks like we're in deep shit now. Gonna take a look here. Want to see what those bastards have done."

Jack's face was a mass of bruises, his left eye swollen closed. He could also see massive bruising on his friend's chest. Daniel felt for fractures and found several, mostly ribs, although Daniel was fairly sure Jack's right wrist was also broken. 

Jack was cold, and he appeared to be struggling to breathe. Daniel quickly checked Jack's legs and hips, not finding any more breaks, but it was evident, however, that Parks had take a perverse pleasure in pounding on his victim everywhere. 

Getting up, Daniel checked out their prison. The cage was approximately eight by eight feet and about 10 feet high. The lock was solid and that left Daniel with little hope that he would be able to break out of it without help. 

Returning to his friend, he pulled Jack's head into his lap and, stroking his forehead, spoke softly.

"Sam, if you can hear me, Jack's in pretty bad shape. We're in a warehouse; I think it's on the west side of town. I saw a couple of trucks with Donaldson Moving and Storage on the side. We're confined inside a cage of some sort. Parks has been using Jack as a punching bag. Hurry Sam, if you and Teal'c can hear me, hurry." Daniel leaned his back against the bars of the cage and prayed for rescue.

* * *

Sam and Teal'c had been following Daniel's clues, trying to locate their teammates. They were in the hospital conference room with Captain McGuire. They had heard some of what Daniel had said, static obscuring parts of his conversation with Richards.

"Here's the Circuit City Dr. Jackson mentioned. It's the only one near the interstate." McGuire was trying to plot Richards' route on a city map that he'd spread out on the table. 

"I checked the computer, there's a Starbuck's on the corner of Indian Road and Mariposa. That's close by." Sam had her computer up and running, trying to help locate the warehouse Daniel had mentioned.

"What did Daniel say there at the end?" Ferretti was on the conference phone. He was still at the mountain trying to find out the connection between Jack and Richards.

"I believe he said something about Donald, Colonel Ferretti." Teal'c had a stoic look on his face which anyone who knew him could interpret without problems. Teal'c was worried. He had the cell phone to his ear with the re-charger hooked to it. 

"There is a Donald's Towing company, a Donaldson Moving and Storage, Donald and Sons Realty Company, and a Donavon's Bakery." Looking at Teal'c, Sam hoped the battery in Daniel's phone didn't go dead. 

"I got it, I got it! At least I think I do!" Lou was shouting. 

"Major, what have you got?" Teal'c stopped Ferritti's outburst immediately.

"I think I found the connection to Parks."

* * *

Daniel could see Richards and Parks over by the table deep in discussion. Parks was gesticulating wildly and Richards kept glancing over at the cage. Parks was a hothead, that much was apparent. It made him dangerous. But Richards was more calculating, which made him a menace and much more of a threat in Daniel's mind.

Looking down at Jack, he couldn't see any change. He hadn't woken up despite Daniel's attempts to awaken him, and Daniel was afraid that he might be bleeding internally. 

Jack's breathing hadn't improved and his color had progressed from a paleness to a stark white. Daniel was sure that Jack would die without medical attention soon.

Just then, Daniel heard a plane overhead, flying low, engines powering down as if they were landing. Listening a little more closely, he could hear another plane farther away but also flying low. It sounded as if they were near an airport.

Glancing at their captors, Daniel slowly reached into his pocket and felt for his phone. Stroking Jack's hair with his other hand, he slowly raised the phone to his ear. He could hear some static but he went for it.

"Sam, Teal'c, I think we're near an airport, hear me...an airport." Daniel slowly brought his hand down and slipped the phone back into his jacket pocket. He hoped the darkness had hidden his move.

* * *

"Tell us, Major." General Hammond had just entered the conference room. 

"Parks is Lieutenant Annabeth Kershaw's half brother."

Looking at Teal'c, Sam felt the blood drain from her face. Kershaw had been killed on P2A-018 when SG1 had taken her and Colonel Sean Grieves back to try and fix the Sentinel. Grieves had killed Latona's guardian of the Sentinel when he had led a rogue NID team to the planet to try and figure out how it worked. 

Kershaw had been killed by a staff blast when the Jaffa had overrun their position and Grieves had sacrificed himself to get the Sentinel working. The move had saved the entire planet from a Goa'uld invasion. They had come back from the planet with her body.

General Hammond started issuing orders immediately. "Colonel Ferretti. Get someone out to Kershaw's parents. See if they know anything about Richards or have any ideas where Parks may have taken our people. On the double, Colonel." 

"Yes Sir!"

* * *

Jack could hear Daniel calling his name. 

"Come on, Jack. Wake up." 

He tried to open his eyes, but they felt too heavy.

"Dammit, Jack! Wake up. Need your help here." 

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack that's it. Come on. Wake up for me." Jack could feel pain with every breath as he became more aware of his surroundings. The surface beneath him was cold and hard. Taking a deep breath, he groaned and felt his breath catch in his throat and then he coughed, enhancing the pain lancing through his chest. He tried to roll to the side but didn't have the strength to move.

"Lay still. Parks did a number on you." Daniel placed his hand on his chest, holding him securely. 

With great difficulty, he opened his eyes and saw Daniel sitting with him, his head in Daniel's lap. As much as he was glad to see his friend, he was also angry. He didn't want anyone dying because of him.

"Daniel, wh't the hell are-" Jack suddenly started coughing, pain knifing through his chest. Jack felt Daniel quickly place a hand on his chest, bracing him as he hacked. Slowly, the coughing eased, and the pain lessened.

"I'm rescuing you." Daniel blinked innocently, answering the question he knew Jack was asking. 

"Yeah?" Jack squinted at his friend. "Well, I c...can see you're doing a bang up job of it." A chuckle turned into a cough, again shafts of pain preventing him from taking a deeper breath. 

Jack was aware that Daniel continued to brace him across his chest, attempting to keep his ribs in alignment. He continued to grunt, pain present with each breath. He closed his eyes, and concentrated on breathing. He felt the sweat being wiped from his face, and slowly, the pain began to subside. 

As Jack settled down, he opened his eyes and looked more closely at their surroundings. The futility of their situation was apparent. They would not get out of here without help.

"So, you got a plan?"

* * *

"Thank you, very much." General Hammond hung up the phone after a brief conversation with a captain from the police department. 

"Well, people, the police have triangulated Dr. Jackson's cell phone to a fifteen block area. They're forwarding the information to your computer, Major, and it should be here in just a moment. They haven't had any luck locating the van, but he assures me that they're still looking.

"I've explained to him that the work done by our people is top secret and that we would need to take the lead in any rescue attempt. They have offered their SWAT unit to assist, if needed. You, Major Carter, will be in charge and SWAT will coordinate with you."

"Yes sir." Nodding her head, Sam turned to her computer just as the email box flashed to show an incoming message. Clicking on it, a city map appeared with the specified area outlined.

Turning to McGuire, they started checking the addresses of the businesses they had come up with, pinpointing them on the map. Sam was able to quickly ascertain that the moving company and the bakery were within the fifteen block area.

Though the search was narrowing, Sam was worried. Time was of the essence.

* * *

Daniel had taken off his jacket and placed it under Jack's head. Whispering quietly, he had explained about the cell phone and had slipped it into Jack's pants' pocket. He wanted Jack to have it, in case. In case of what, Daniel hadn't answered Jack when he'd asked. He didn't have to.

Jack had then fallen into a fitful sleep. Sitting there next to his friend, he hoped the cavalry was on its way. Leaning his head against the bars at his back, Daniel watched Parks and Richards head for the door and out into the sunlight.

Pulling the phone quickly out of Jack's pocket, Daniel put it to his ear.

"Sam, Teal'c?" He could hear static coming from the phone. 

"Daniel Jackson, it is I." Thank God, he was still connected.

Sam came on the line, her voice harried and rushed. "Daniel, we're trying to narrow down your location. Can you remember anything else?" 

"Sam, I think we're in a warehouse, near an airport. Saw Donaldson Moving and Storage on some trucks about three or four minutes before we arrived. I also heard some sirens about five minutes ago, nearby." 

"Anything else, anything about the warehouse?"

"There are some packing crates on the other side, but I can't see any writing on them. There's a large, wall size retractable door at one end, with a regular door to the side. And another standard sized door at the other end, both with windows. No other doors or windows that I can see from here. " Daniel heard the sound of a door opening again. "Gotta go. Hurry guys. Jack's in trouble." Daniel whispered the last as he closed the phone, slipping it back into his friend's pocket just as Parks returned.

Walking over, the man gave a chuckle. "Well, Dr. Jackson. How about we have a discussion? It looks like your friend there wouldn't be much fun right now." Chills raced down Daniel's spine as Parks stepped to the door of the cage and unlocked it, never losing his smile.

* * *

Jack awoke to the sound of grunts and an occasional moan. He opened his eyes, puzzled, unsure of where he was and how he'd arrived there. There was another grunt and then some laughter and he remembered. Richards. Parks. Attacking his team, kidnapping him. //Had Daniel really been there with him? // Turning his head slowly towards the sound, the pain in his head and neck escalated and his vision blurred. Closing his eyes against the knives shafting through him, he tried to slow his breathing, and concentrated on staying conscious. 

He opened his eyes again, slowly, at the sound of a particularly loud moan, and Jack saw Daniel strung up, hands above his head, suspended from chains. Blood was dripping down his face, and he appeared to be having some trouble breathing. 

Richards was sitting at the table, feet up, watching Parks as he punched Daniel again. Daniel took a deep breath and slumped against the chains. Jack could see Parks moving closer to his friend. 

Suddenly Daniel grabbed the chains above his head, and using them for leverage, pulled both legs to his chest. Swinging free, Daniel kicked Parks in the chest with both feet, dropping him to the floor.

Jack could see that Parks wasn't moving, stunned from the blow.

"Fuck!" Richards shouted and then jumped to his feet. Pulling out a zat, he shot Daniel at point blank range. The archeologist jerked, and then slumped against the chains, unconscious. 

Jack could see Richards slapping Parks, trying to wake him. Slowly the man came around, clutching his chest as he sat up. Climbing slowly to his feet, Parks approached Daniel. Jack held his breath, knowing what was coming. 

Parks punched Daniel in the back and the stomach, once, twice and started to pull back for a third when Richards shouted, "Stop!" Parks looked at the major, holding his left arm to his ribs, anger still apparent on his face.

"He's out. Leave it." 

"No, God dammit! He and O'Neill and the rest of his pack are responsible. They have to pay." Jack could see the rage on Parks' face. 

"They will. We'll get them. We have to focus on the Jaffa and Carter right now. They're a tough pair and they're well aware someone's after them. It'll be hard enough to snatch them. If you're injured..." Richards left the conversation there. 

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I want to kill them both now. I'm tired of this game, Richards. They killed her, they killed my sister. And they have to pay."

Jack could see Parks was losing control. //Who was he talking about? Sister? // 

"I know, I know. She was the love of my life. We were gonna get married, to hell with the regulations. I miss her, too." Richards pushed Parks into one of the chairs. "But we have to be smart. It isn't over yet. We still have work to do. And we have to make them suffer for what they did, before we kill them all. Got it? Now, there's a cot over in the office, go lie down and rest for a little while. I'll return rock man to the cage and check on O'Neill. Then we'll go over our plans to get the other two, okay?" Jack could see all the fight had gone out of Parks as he followed the instructions and headed into the dimness on the other side of the building. 

Richards watched as Parks moved off and then tuned back to Daniel. 

"You're just lucky I'm not ready to kill you just yet, Doctor." Richards cut Daniel's restraints loose from the chains, and Jack grimaced in sympathy as his friend hit the floor. He was glad that Daniel still hadn't regained consciousness. 

Richards dragged Daniel across the floor to the cage, and opening it, pulled him inside. Jack didn't try to pretend he was asleep; he hoped Richards would focus on him and leave Daniel alone. 

"Who? Who did we kill?" Jack could see that his whispered question surprised Richards. 

"Okay, Colonel, I'll play your game, if you want." Jack didn't miss the sneer in the man's voice. "My Annie." Seeing the confusion, Richards continued. "Annabeth Kershaw! You took her along to that planet and you got her killed. One more week, you couldn't wait one more week. We were going to be together again. We were leaving the country. But no, you had to take her along. And now she's dead." 

"A Jaffa killed her." Jack struggled to answer, the pain overwhelming. "And she was in jail for treason. You were leaving?" The question in Jack's voice was obvious.

"Had it all planned - a jailbreak. Parks was helping, as were several other former NID personnel. But now... well, now, O'Neill, you'll pay for what you did. Think about that." The man turned and left after locking the door, moving off in the direction that Parks had taken.

Jack held his breath against the pain as he slowly dragged himself to Daniel's side. Seeing his friend taking another beating had scared him. Daniel hadn't fully recovered. He'd been doing well but still had some recovery time left. Now he was in trouble again and Jack could see he was in bad shape. 

Pulling his body into an upright position and leaning against the bars of the cage, Jack felt the pain, dizziness and nausea return full force. Taking a few deep breaths, he moved closer to Daniel and struggled to get him on his side, in recovery position, facing him. Then laying down, he let the darkness that had been threatening to consume him for several minutes finally claim him.

* * *

The ringing of the phone dragged Sam's attention away from the map of Colorado Springs now pinned to the wall. She'd been marking off areas that had already been searched by the police or SGC personnel.

Having consulted with Captain Woolsey, the police representative now stationed at the hospital, several of the fifteen blocks previously identified had been eliminated due to the type of buildings and commerce located in those sections.

Teal'c, who continued to monitor Sam's cell phone, moved to join her at the table as she answered. She could feel anxiety radiating off the big man. The prolonged inactivity had only ratcheted up the tension, but she knew it was due to the fear they both had about the safety of their teammates. The two of them needed to be doing something more to find their friends. 

"Carter."

"Major, Ferretti here."

"Lou, did you find out anything?"

"Yes, Major, or at least I hope so. I just left Kershaw's parents. At first, Mrs. Kershaw wasn't too accommodating. But when I told her just how serious the charges were against her son, and with some encouragement from her husband, she caved. It seems that Parks' father died in an accident when he was ten. He left some property for him which he inherited when he turned twenty-one. There are several warehouses, and a building that used to be an airplane hanger."

"Hold on." Sam turned to Teal'c. "Didn't Daniel say something about air? His phone cut out but he could have been trying to say airport or airplane." 

"I believe you are correct, Major Carter." Teal'c nodded.

"Colonel, give me the addresses." As Ferretti rattled off the locations of the properties, Captain Woolsey marked them on the map. Two were located near a small municipal airport outside of Colorado Springs and both were in the fifteen block area first identified.

* * *

Daniel peered out from beneath his lashes. He had awakened to debilitating pain that seem to assault him from all sides. Right now his back and neck seemed to be vying for center of attention, overpowering the pain in the rest of his body. He ignored the pain and continued working at his restraints.

Hearing a moan, he peered to the left and saw Jack sitting in a chair next to him. Somehow, during the time when he'd been out from the zat blast, he and Jack had been moved out of the cage. Now they were both sitting near the table, their arms tied behind them. 

Jack had been unconscious when Daniel had opened his eyes but now he was stirring. 'God, I wish he'd stay out for a while longer'. At least when they were unconscious, Parks and Richards left them alone. That was why he hadn't lifted his head right away, hoping to keep the evil duo from using them as punching bags for a while.

Daniel had been working at the restraints for a while. He wasn't really sure how long since he didn't have any sense of time. He only knew that if Jack was in the same shape he was, they needed medical attention and soon. 

He tried to keep his movements to a minimum, not wanting to draw any attention to his activities; he currently had no idea where their two kidnappers were. Frankly, that worried him more than having them right in front of them.

As much as he needed to get Jack and himself out of here, he didn't want Sam and Teal'c to end up in the same predicament. And he still didn't understand why all this was happening, but it was evident that they were after all of SG1.

"Daniel?" Jack was awake.

"Yeah." Unable to gather much strength, his answer came out as a whisper. "I'm here, Jack."

"Damn, I hoped I'd dreamed it."

"What?" 

"That you were here, I was hopin' I'd imagined it. Damn!" Jack sounded as weak as a kitten. But there was some fire there, which gave Daniel hope.

"Nope, you're both still here." Richards walked out of the surrounding dimness, a smile plastered on his face. "And here you'll die. Soon, gentlemen, we'll have Carter and the Jaffa. And then it will be over for all of you." Laughing, he whipped around and headed for the door.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Remind me to kill him when we get out of here. Will ya?"

* * *

Sam was in a van parked down the road from the hanger. They had passed several big rigs on the way over, a couple which had Donaldson Moving and Storage on the side. They were all traveling along the same road so Sam could only hope it meant that they were headed in the right direction. 

"Major Carter." Sam heard Teal'c over her earpiece.

"Anything?" Teal'c and Ferretti had gone ahead and were scouting the area.

"I believe we have located the white van."

* * *

Richards and Parks were in the office, Jack was unconscious again and Daniel was almost free of the ropes securing his hands. His neck and back were still pounding, making it difficult to try and work his hands free. But he was finally successful. 

Looking to the side, he tried to see if there had been any movement from the office. They were still in there talking, which relieved Daniel, but Parks was gesturing violently, apparently angry. 

Daniel lowered his left arm and began to try to untie his legs. With his first pull, the throbbing in his back intensified. 

"Daniel." There was a soft whisper behind him. "Let me help you with that."

"Sam?" Relief flooded through him. 

"Shh, don't want to alert those two quite yet. Teal'c and SG2 are almost in position." He could feel the ropes around his legs as they were loosened and then pulled away.

"Here's a zat." Daniel could feel Sam place the weapon in his hand. Although still somewhat numb, he forced his hand to hold the zat in his grip. "I'm going to cut the Colonel's ropes and I want you two out of the line of fire. Can you maneuver on your own?" 

Nodding his head slowly, he tried to lower himself to the floor, intent on helping Sam move Jack. But his legs wouldn't hold him. He had been tied up too long and numbness had set in. 

Instead of sliding down, he fell, toppling the chair, the loud bang echoing. Moving quickly, Sam sliced through Jack's ropes and dragged him to the floor. 

Daniel pulled himself to Jack's side, the sound of Richards yelling in the background. There was a crack as the office door slammed open and Parks came running across the warehouse floor.

Daniel tried, but was unable to lift the zat, so he did the only thing he could do. He closed his eyes and tried to cover Jack with his body. Parks leaped across the table, firing his gun. 

Daniel heard zats and P90's chattering as his teammates and SG2 opened fire. At the same time, he felt a burn across his right thigh, and Daniel knew a bullet had found its target. Suddenly he heard Sam yell, "Cease fire!" and there was silence.

Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Sam move and crouch next to Parks' body, checking for a pulse. Seeing her shake her head, Daniel lay back on the floor, next to Jack. 

Teal'c appeared at Jack's side and Sam came and knelt next to him, holding pressure on the bullet wound, sending a searing blaze through his leg. 

"Teal'c." Daniel whispered. "Jack?"

"He is alive, Daniel Jackson."

"Thanks, guys." Closing his eyes, awareness faded as he heard Sam yelling for a medic.

* * *

Dr. Janet Fraiser and her staff were primed and ready for the patients when they arrived at Academy Hospital. Quickly issuing orders, Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson were examined and treated. Vital signs were taken, intravenous lines were started, labs were drawn and both men were intubated to support their breathing. Then they were sent to Radiology, and, once all the results were in, surgery was only required for Daniel. Now her friends were in the capable hands of the ICU staff and she felt sure, with time, they would recover. 

Shaking her head, Janet looked at the most recent lab results and then wrote a few additional orders. Taking one last look at the numbers registering on the monitors, she headed down the hall. This was reality. It wasn't television. People didn't get beaten this badly and walk away unharmed and unfettered. Her friends were hurt, and it would take some time for them to heal and be whole again. But she knew they were fighters and that, too, was reality.

Janet stepped into the waiting room. Sam and Teal'c were there, along with General Hammond, Ferretti, and her daughter, Cassie. These people were Jack and Daniel's immediate family and concern radiated from them. All stood as she entered the room, hope in their eyes.

"They're critical at this moment but I'm optimistic for their recovery. The Colonel has two fractured ribs, a concussion, a non- displaced fracture of the left orbital bone, and a fracture of his right wrist. He also has a bruised kidney and pneumonia. There was evidence on his clothes that he vomited at some point." Janet paused to let the information sink in, and then continued.

"We did a bronchoscopy on the Colonel and it looks as if he aspirated. He also has multiple lacerations and bruises. Amazingly enough, he didn't have any internal injuries requiring surgery." Janet could see of anger and fear reflected in the eyes of those gathered around her. 

"What about Dr. Jackson?" asked General Hammond.

"Well, he also has a bruised kidney, along with severe bruising around his chest and torso. He has a broken nose which has been reset. He's been zatted and shot. The bullet lodged in the muscle tissue of his thigh but didn't hit anything vital. His worst injury was a damaged spleen which we repaired in the OR. He also has an impressive number of lacerations and other bruises." Seeing that the information was beginning to overwhelm them, she finished quickly.

"Both are intubated and on ventilators. I expect to take Daniel off in the morning. After bringing him back from surgery, I decided to let him to rest overnight before removing the ET tube. Colonel O'Neill may be on the ventilator for a few more days. I'll have to evaluate him on a day to day basis." Looking around, she could see that everyone had heard enough for now.

"Both are sedated and on pain meds but their blood pressures are good. I know it sounds bad, but it could have been a lot worse. The injuries, while painful, will heal, barring any complications. I can't promise you anything, but their prognosis is good. We'll just have to wait it out."

"Can we see them, Janet?" Sam eyes were glistening with unshed tears and Janet knew she wouldn't let them go until she had a moment of privacy.

"Yes, I've made special arrangements with the head nurse for you and Teal'c to take turns sitting with them. I also arranged for a cot to be set up in my office and I expect you two to take turns getting some rest." From the looks on their faces, Janet knew she would have to enforce that little rule if she didn't want two more patients.

"Cassie, after you've seen them, I want you go home and get some sleep." When Janet saw her daughter about to protest, she continued. "It's late and you need to sleep. You can see them tomorrow and I promise if anything happens, I'll call you."

Sam and Teal'c allowed General Hammond and Cassie to go first, waiting as Janet escorted them towards the ICU.

* * *

Hot, too hot. Jack felt like he couldn't breathe. He tried not to panic. But he was choking, something was choking him. He could feel something at his face, pressing his mouth open, something being pushed down his throat. 

He tried to reach for the hands at his face, but his arms wouldn't move. He tried to move his head away from the hands, trying to turn his head to the right, then left. But he was being held.

Pain, pain everywhere it seemed. He needed to get up, get away. He needed to get help for Daniel. 

"Colonel O'Neill, calm down. Don't move. I'm trying to reposition this tube that's helping you breathe." He didn't recognize the voice. Someone was trying to hurt him.

"Kate, get me some Fentanyl, 100 micrograms, stat! Hold on, Colonel, you'll feel better in a moment." He recognized that voice; Fraiser. 

No! He was dreaming... someone was trying to hurt him again. Jack started thrashing, trying to get free. 

"O'Neill! You must stop and let Dr. Fraiser help you. Remain calm." Jack heard Teal'c and felt him grasp his hand with his, then place the other on his shoulder. Jack knew Teal'c would help him and then he knew it really was Fraiser talking. 

"The medicine is going in your IV now, Colonel, just hold on a second and I promise you'll start to feel better." Janet was right, in a short time he could feel the blackness start to close in on him, the pain fading. In the background, he suddenly could hear beeping and an alarm of some sort. Letting the blackness close in, his last thought was of Daniel. He hoped he was okay.

* * *

"Janet?" Sam walked into the ICU to see her friend wiping her face. Several of the medical and nursing staff were in the colonel's cubicle, surrounding his bed. Teal'c was also there. Janet lifted her head when she heard her name called. The look on her face spoke volumes. 

"What happened?" Sam hurried to the glass doors of the colonel's room. She could see the nurses clearing away equipment that had been used and Teal'c was holding onto their commander's hand. That worried her more than anything else about the scene.

"We tried to let the Colonel wake up and breathe more on his own. But he wasn't ready. His lab tests showed that he wasn't able to maintain his oxygen level high enough yet without assistance." Sam watched as Janet ran a hand through her hair. Teal'c walked over to stand beside her. 

"We lightened the sedation in hopes we could take the tube out, but he became diaphoretic, his heart rate and respirations went up and his blood pressure climbed. He became restless and, in his agitation, he dislodged the ET tube. We repositioned his tube, increased the sedation and put him back of the previous ventilator settings. He's clearly not well enough yet." It had been two days since they had rescued their friends and both had had a rough course.

Daniel had been extubated only that morning, requiring a longer period on the ventilator than at first anticipated. Colonel O'Neill had pneumonia and that had complicated things. Although Janet had predicted there might be problems, Sam had hoped that both her friends would escape them.

"Is he alright?" Sam looked into the room. The colonel appeared to be either unconscious or sleeping. The breathing tube protruded from his open mouth, white tape holding it in place and she could see the slight movement of the ventilator tubing as the machine cycled every few seconds.

He had IV's in his left arm and there was another in the right side of his neck which had blood running through it. His right wrist and arm, which were in a splint, rested on pillows. Janet had told them the orthopedic doctor wanted the swelling to go down before it was casted. There were so many tubes, wires, and machines and he was so still, buried beneath them; it was hard for her to see the man, the commander, her friend. 

"He's stable but he's pretty sick right now. He took quite a beating as did Daniel. We'll try again in the morning. Maybe by then the antibiotics will have helped a bit more."

Sam nodded at Janet and looked back at Colonel O'Neill. There was a knot of fear still in her stomach that just wouldn't go away. She knew it would fade as soon as her friends were up and about. Until then, she'd just have to live with it.

* * *

There was a dull ache in his back, he needed to turn over. He could hear the sound of medical equipment and murmurs of people talking. Where was he?

Must be the infirmary...no, the sound wasn't quite right. A hospital, maybe. Why was he here?

Suddenly he remembered; the kidnappings, the beatings, and the insanity of the men responsible. 

"Jack!"

Opening his eyes, Daniel tried to sit up, only to have the ache in his back turn into a burning pain. 

"He is sleeping in the next room, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c wrapped an arm around his shoulder and supported him as he lay back against the pillow. Taking deep breaths, Daniel waited for the pain to recede back to the dull ache. 

He felt a cool damp cloth wipe his face and he sighed, trying to relax. After a few moments, Daniel opened his eyes and saw Teal'c standing next to him, cloth in hand, continuing to wipe the sweat off his face and neck.

"Thanks."

"You are welcome, Daniel Jackson."

"How's Jack? Is he okay?" 

"He is stable, according to Dr. Fraiser. And expected to recover." Daniel could see his friend was worried.

"I want to see him." Daniel started to sit up again only to be blindsided by the pain once more. Groaning, he collapsed back. 

"You cannot. Dr. Fraiser requires that you remain in bed until tomorrow."

"That's right, Daniel. You were seriously injured. If you continue to improve, in the morning we'll put you in a wheelchair and take you next door to see the colonel for a few minutes." Daniel turned his head to see Janet standing by the door. 

"Janet, what's going on with Jack? Please, tell me." Daniel's back and stomach were really starting to hurt, but information about Jack's condition took priority.

"He's doing okay, Daniel. I was able to remove the breathing tube today and that's a big step forward. He has a concussion so he's still a little confused, but that seems to be getting better. As I told Sam and Teal'c, he's stable. He just has a long recovery ahead." Janet looked through the notes on Daniel's bedside chart and then proceeded to examine him. 

"What happened to Richards and Parks?" Daniel could see the look Teal'c and Janet exchanged and then the nod of permission from the doctor.

"They are dead, Daniel Jackson. Major Carter and I were forced to kill Lieutenant Parks when he again attacked you and O'Neill. Major Richards would not surrender and fired his weapon, forcing SG 2 to return fire." Daniel could see that Teal'c was not sorry that the two were dead and he couldn't say he was either. The two had put all the members of SG1 through hell the last few weeks and if they had lived, there would've been a trial. It would've only added to the stress.

Daniel hissed and clenched his teeth as Janet hit a tender area of his stomach. He closed his eyes and endured the rest of the examination in silence, his squeezing Teal'c's hand the only indication of any discomfort. He then heard a faint beep.

"Daniel, you have a control here to administer your own pain medication. I just gave you a dose so the pain should start to ease. You've used one of these before, do you remember?" Daniel opened his eyes and nodded, the pain already starting to fade. "I'll clip the button to your gown here where you can reach it. Use it, the pain only hinders your ability to heal. Okay?"

"'K. Thanks, Janet. I think I'm gonna sleep now." Slipping into a drugged slumber, Daniel felt a soft kiss at his temple.

* * *

Jack slowly came awake, becoming aware of a faint beeping, muted, close to him. Turning towards the sound, a sharp pain in his chest grabbed him and he took a deep breath. Suddenly he was coughing, the pain sharpening with each jolt. 

"Jack?" A hand grabbed his, squeezing it, as if to lend him strength. The coughing began to ease, but the pain remained, throbbing with each beat of his heart. 

"Hold on, let me get this for you." There was another faint beep, the tone slightly different than the noise which had accompanied as he had surfaced. When the pain began to recede, he was able to relax and take a deep breath.

Opening his eyes, he could see his friend sitting next to him in a wheelchair, looking pale; with dark 'raccoon' bruising beneath both eyes that accompanies a busted nose. "Good look on you, Daniel."

"Yeah, thanks. How're you doing?"

"Peachy. You?" 

"Fine."

Jack translated Daniel's standard answer. He knew his friend was injured worse then he wanted him to know.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Jack thought for a moment, images of the last few days flooding his brain. 

"Yeah. How long?'

"Have we been here?" Jack nodded his head to the question, suddenly wishing he hadn't. The headache, which had receded somewhat with the medication, found its way back.

"Four days."

"Argghhh. When do we get out of here?" 

"What's your hurry, Colonel?" Jack turned to see Fraiser enter the room. 

"Hey doc. Want to go home. Any chance of that happening?" Jack knew Fraiser would interpret his question correctly.

"Soon. Let me play a little longer, huh." He could see her smile and knew they were going to be all right. 

Fraiser did a neurological check, asking questions, flashing her penlight, tapping with a reflex hammer. She then had Jack roll to his side to check the bruises on his back. When she was done, Jack felt like he had run a 10K marathon. 

"Still ready to go home, sir?" Fraiser reached for the pain medication control button. 

"Yeah." He could only whisper his reply.

"Liar." Daniel answered.

"The meds should kick in here in just a moment, Colonel. I have to go back to the SGC. I'll stop and see you both on the way home tonight. Daniel, I'll have Teal'c come and help you back to bed in a few moments." At Daniel's nod, she continued. "Rest, gentlemen. You're both gonna be fine." With that, Janet left the room.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

Jack could feel his friend's hand on his. "Thanks."

"For what?"

Jack turned to the archeologist seated beside him. "Oh you know... everything."

"No thanks necessary, my friend. Ever." Looking into Daniel's eyes, he was awed of the emotion there. "Jack, I know we don't do the 'getting in touch with our feelings stuff', but ..." Daniel paused, giving Jack's hand a squeeze. 

"Yeah, me too, Daniel, me too." Grasping Daniel's hand a little tighter, Jack finally closed his eyes and drifted, exhaustion and pain finally winning the battle.

* * *

Jack pushed his IV pole and walked slowly back to his bed after visiting the bathroom. He could see Daniel sitting up in bed, working on a laptop. Fraiser had finally allowed Carter to bring it to him and Jack was sure it was only to save her own sanity. 

Since being transferred back to the SGC a couple of days ago, Daniel had been driving everyone crazy with his requests. His friend could be like a dog with a bone, which was what made him so valuable to SG1 but it was also a characteristic that drove Jack insane.

Fraiser should never have worried. Daniel had spent as much time dozing as he had doing research. It had been a little over a week since they had been rescued and both of them were still recovering. Since being back at the mountain, Jack hadn't even asked to go home. He wasn't really ready to take care of himself yet, and he knew it. But he did identify with Daniel's feelings of going a little stir crazy.

He grabbed Daniel's foot as he passed by on his way to his bed. 

Daniel looked up and smiled. "Everything come out alright?"

"Ha, that's original, Daniel. Ever think of doing standup?" Jack still grinned as he eased himself back into bed. 

Closing his eyes, Jack lay back and relaxed, allowing his heart to slow. Right now everything took such effort. The doc had reassured him that it would get better with time. Fraiser had Daniel and him up walking in the halls of the infirmary twice a day and he had to admit, he was exhausted after every trip.

Over the last couple of days, tubes, lines and wires had slowly been removed. He and Daniel were now wearing a telemetry pack which monitored their heart rates. They both still had IV lines but other than that, everything else had been removed. 

Laying there, starting to doze, Jack slowly became aware of a rattling noise coming from the hall. Turning his head, he saw Carter and Teal'c coming through the door, pushing wheelchairs.

"Major, Teal'c... what'cha doing?" Jack could see the smile on his second's face.

"Dr. Fraiser has ordered a new therapy for you and Daniel Jackson. We are here to accompany you." Jack couldn't read anything from Teal'c's face, but from the grin on Carter's, he knew something was up. Looking at Daniel, he saw his friend shrug his shoulders and give him a 'just go with it' look. 

Lt. Michelson came over and took both Jack and Daniel's IV's off the pumps and helped each man into their respective chairs, hanging their IV's bags on the poles attached to each chair. Once they were settled, the nurse draped blankets over their legs to keep them warm. 

As Carter grabbed onto Daniel's chair, turning it towards the hall, Jack could see some of the archeologist's facial bruising beginning to fade. He still had his raccoon eyes but the bruising was fading, indicating that he was healing. He could also see that the lines of fatigue hadn't left yet. Yeah, Daniel had a way to go but he would see that his friend got the rest he needed, if it killed him.

Carter and Teal'c pushed them down the hall to the elevators. As they sat there waiting, the major started to hum. He looked at Daniel and he could see Daniel looking over his shoulder at his driver. Catching his eye as he turned back, Jack could see that Daniel was as puzzled and suspicious. He mirrored Daniel's earlier movement, shrugging his shoulders.

The ride took them to the surface. The elevator doors opened and a rush of fresh air washed over Jack, giving him the urge to take a deep breath. A little stab of pain in his ribs reminded him of the past few weeks of harassment and persecution. He also had a sense of guilt, knowing Richards and Parks had gone after him, pulling his friends into the middle of it because of their association. 

There was a part of him that knew he shouldn't feel guilty, that his team didn't blame him. They had been on that same mission, but being the team leader had made him responsible. He would live with that, always.

His mobile team members pushed Daniel and his chairs towards the tunnel that branched off to the left. He knew it led to the outside path that they all used sometimes when they needed to get out for a while, get away from recycled and filtered air. 

Reaching the door, Carter swiped her security card and with care, Daniel and he were pushed down the path to a small clearing overlooking the valley below. There, a table had been set up in the shade of the oak tree that always seemed a little out of place whenever he visited the glen. 

Rolled up to the table, Jack could see that it was set up for a meal, and next to the table was a cooler. 

"Well, what have we here?" Jack was overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness, and fought to hide it.

"Lunch." Teal'c lifted a silver dome off a platter sitting in the middle of the table.

There on the serving dish sat an extra large pizza from Mannetti's, SG1's favorite pizza joint. Jack noticed it was half Canadian bacon and pineapple, and the other half was plain cheese.

"Hey, where's the pepperoni and onions?" Daniel was the first to speak up.

"Not to mention the green pepper, mushrooms and sausage," Jack added to the protest. 

"Forbidden, sir." Carter had a smile on her face. "Dr. Fraiser figured your stomachs could just about handle the cheese pizza. Anything more and you 'might be sorry'. Her words exactly, sir." 

"Tell me you at least have beer in that thing, Carter." Jack pointed at the cooler. 

"I do, sir." Smiling, Carter reached down and pulled out a can. Handing it to her CO, Jack could see it was all she could do to keep from giggling. 

Taking the can, Jack groaned.

"Root beer, great idea, Sam." Daniel was laughing at him. 

"Some us like the real stuff." Jack watched her reach down one more time and pull out a lite beer and hand it to him. 

Taking it from his second, he popped the top and took a sip.

"How?"

"Dr. Fraiser approved this choice of beverage for you, O'Neill. But only in small quantities. Therefore, do not 'guzzle'. There is only one."

Laughing, Jack looked at his Jaffa friend and then at his other teammates as they continued to harass him and each other about the beer and the pizza. They made him smile and made him feel safe, on- world or off. He was blessed, something he didn't think he would ever have again. Yes, they were all blessed.


End file.
